Faruque assures players of starting first division league this month

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday assured Dhaka First Division Cricket League players that the board would start the league this month, promising to hold the tournament without any disturbance.

Faruque met cricketers of 15 of the 20 participating teams after the club officials announced a boycott of the league, scheduled to start on January 20, over the recently proposed constitutional amendments which they believed would destroy Bangladesh cricket.

"He assured us that there is no doubt that the league would commence shortly," Asaduzzaman Prince, captain of Khelaghar Cricket Club told reporters after the meeting with the BCB president today.

The boycott from the clubs put the players in an uncertain situation and that's the reason these cricketers were called for a meeting by the board president.  

During a 20-minute meeting, Faruque assured them of solving the issue during the upcoming board meeting, scheduled for next Saturday.

"He said he has a meeting scheduled on the 25th, and by 26th, he will announce the start date for the league. The president has assured us that there will be no complications, and the league will proceed as planned.

"We wait 7-9 months for the tournament since our livelihoods depend on the league. The income from this league supports our families. This is why senior players from these 20 teams are present today," Prince added.

Saddam Hossain, captain of Dhaka Leopards, also echoed a similar sentiment.

"We are currently facing uncertainty. As you know, the league was scheduled to begin on the 20th, and we had started our preparations. However, the clubs have now instructed us to return home.

"The president has assured us that the league will commence as soon as possible within this month," he concluded.