Raising an 11-point demand, Bangladesh cricketers have warned of not participating in any form of cricket until they are met. Cricketers of national team and first class level pressed the demands to Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The demands are - election of committee of Cricket Association of Bangladesh (COAB) by cricketers, freedom for the cricketers of choosing their team and setting their salary in the premier League, reviving the previous system of BPL from the next time, increasing the salaries, benefits and facilities for the first class cricketers, increasing the number of contracted players for the national team, increasing the salary of local coaches, trainers, physios, and employees involved in cricket, increasing the number of ODI Leagues in domestic cricket, preparing a permanent calendar, payment of the dues of the cricketers, and withdrawing the bar on playing more than two leagues.
While standing together with fellow cricketers with the demand at BCB office Mahmudullah Riyad said, ‘you all know what the situation of Dhaka premier League is. More or less every cricketer have expressed their dissatisfaction about the way the premier League is taking place. In this League a standard for the salaries of all the cricketers is imposed. By this, many of the rights of the cricketers have been squeezed. In premier League which cricketer will play for which team and what will be the salary should be left on the cricketers themselves.’
Mushfiqur Rahim said, ‘we know BPL this is taking place under different rules, which we have accepted with due respect. But we would demand the BPL takes place in the next time in the same way it was held in the previous years. We also demand the payment of the local cricketers should remain consistent with the that of foreign players. We have seen that the generously cricketers are paid is not the same for our local cricketers. We have to change this situation. And cricketers should be entitled to determine their grade themselves. If no franchise wants to take them through the building, it is a matter of the cricketer. We should respect to right of the cricketer to determine their own grade.’
Shakib Al Hasan said: ‘the match fee for a cricketer in the first class level should be Tk100000. The salaries of the first class cricketer are very low. That should be increased by at least 50%. And facilities for practice have to be increased. Also gym and indoor facilities have to be increased. There should be coaches, physios and trainers all the year round. They can give our crickets a shape. They would give the plan so that cricketer can work according to that. As these are all about facilities, it may not be ensured in a day. But we want these facilities are ensured before the next season. The first class matches should be played with quality ball. And a first class cricket is given TK1500 taka as conveyance for a day, which is inadequate. With this amount for food, it is impossible to get the fitness that BCB expect from the cricketer. The cricketers need good foods. They should be given a travel allowance so that they can afford hotel good to stay. The crickets should be given air tickets for traveling from one division to another. The quality of the buses that carry cricketers from the hotel to the ground are also very low. There should be AC buses for the cricketers.’
Tamim Iqbal said the people involved in cricket should be more respected. We know what salaries a grounds-man at BCB is getting, working the whole day, from morning to night. Very little. It is seen that we don't want to promote our coaches, which is not right. Bangladeshi coaches should be respected. The salaries for a foreign coach equals to that of 20 local coaches. The physios and trainers are also subject to discriminations. The salaries for the umpires have to be increased. BCB has to ensure the living and livelihood for everyone involved in cricket so that they can survive.