Mashrafe, Tamim against five foreign players

Nothing is confirmed yet. But the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is planning to increase the number of foreign players in every team’s playing XI from 4 to 5 in the upcoming 5th season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Though it shouldn’t be a big concern for the national cricketers, but it could affect the players outside the national pool greatly. And so, national players like Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal have raised their voice against the possibility of allowing five foreign players to play.

The southpaw opener Tamim said, “The decision is yet to be finalised. But as you are asking me this, so I am telling you. I have been in the national team for over a decade, so if the board asks my opinion as a senior cricketer, I will tell them that I am against it. I have already requested my franchise not to give in to BCB’s proposal to add one more foreign player in the playing XI.”

Bangladesh’s 50-over format captain Mashrafe also echoed similar sentiment, “This tournament is a big opportunity to create more back-up players. If you have noticed, in last four seasons, that team won every time which had the local players doing better.

“Now if you increase foreign players, win-loss will depend more on them.Besides if you take one more foreign player, that means one less local player will get chance, which I don’t want.” If the board wants my opinion, I will go for four foreign players as it was before.”