Match starts after 70-minute delay
Jannatul Naym Pieal
It’s only the second day of the third season of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and mismanagement has already striken! Prior to the first match of the day between Chittagong Vikings and Sylhet Superstars, the toss was scheduled to happen at 1.30pm. But because of some confusion regarding NOCs for two of the Sylhet Superstars overseas players – Joshua Cobb and Ravi Bopara, the toss delayed for 27 minutes and finally it happened at 1.57pm.
Then though the match was expected to begin at 2pm, it was officially announced later that the match would start 2.15pm. But the match didn’t start at the rescheduled time either. Sylhet Superstars fielders were already in the middle and Chittagong Vikings openers Tamim Iqbal and Tilkaratne Dilshan also stepped in the field to bat but suddenly the umpires called them back again outside the boundary rope.
Then the umpires were having a word with the openers and management of the Chittagong team near the boundary ropes. Captain Tamim Iqbal was looking dejected, as he was not happy with something. Mushfiqur Rahim, the Sylhet Superstars captain, however was looking quite calm and he didn’t get himself involved in the argument.
It is understood that the confusion was mainly over two cricketers from Sylhet – Joshua Cobb and Ravi Bopara who didn’t have the NOCs and their name wasn’t in the players list. So they were not initially given permission to feature in the match. But following the toss, BCB permitted those two cricketers to play in the match. But Chittagong Vikings authority as well as their captain Tamim Iqbal protested the matter and denied to take the field, and thus the match was being delayed to start.
Finally the match arrived at around 3.10pm, after a delay of nearly 70 minutes. Sylhet Superstars are not playing with the two controversial players. They are fielding only two overseas players. And also to be noted, there will be a full twenty-over match in either innings as no over has been curtailed out.
Whatever the matter is, this is definitely a shame for BPL. Everyone thought after some chaos in the first two seasons of the tournament, this time BCB would be able to establish a clean image for themselves with arranging a successful tournament. But that seems to be just a dream now.
SOURCE: bdcricinfo
