Cricketers voice discontent over BCB’s central contract grading

There’s growing frustration among Bangladesh cricketers over the Bangladesh Cricket Board‍‍`s (BCB) central contract, with several players expressing dissatisfaction about their rankings and exclusions. 

The issue has stirred up a lot of debate, as some players feel they have been treated unfairly, while others are questioning the transparency of the selection process.

One of the most prominent voices of discontent is 31-year-old Al Amin Junior, who was left out of the list of 100 cricketers on salary under the National League. 

Struggling to understand why he was excluded, Al Amin reached out to former selector Hannan Sarkar for an explanation. 

Sarkar provided a detailed response, considering Al Amin’s past, present, and potential future contributions to the team. 

After listening, Al Amin appeared deep in thought for a moment, then walked off to the academy grounds for practice, as reported by Samakal.

But Al Amin is not alone in his disappointment. 

Several other cricketers, even those who made it onto the central contract list, have expressed frustration. 

Soumya Sarkar, for instance, has voiced his discontent after being placed in the ‍‍`C‍‍` grade, while Zakir Ali, who has consistently delivered strong performances, is also upset. 

Another player, Shamin Hossain Patowary, was left out entirely, sparking further dissatisfaction. 

Some players are even calling this year’s contract system discriminatory.

The BCB usually follows a structured grading system for central contracts, taking into account a player’s experience, current performance, and future potential. 

However, a source within the BCB revealed that the current selection committee, led by chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, did not follow this traditional method. 

Instead, it appears the grading decisions were influenced by personal preferences.

A cricketer, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke out about the issue, saying, "The evaluation of pace bowlers has been handled well, as they often don‍‍`t get the opportunity to play in every match. There’s no objection to them being in higher grades. The real problem is that some players, who have given great service to the national team, are placed in lower grades. This will only create inequality."

Efforts to contact chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu for a response were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls. 

Similarly, selector Abdur Razzak was unreachable. 

However, Hannan Sarkar tried to clarify the situation, explaining, "I have signed this contract, and the grading was done with the best interests of the country’s cricket in mind. Nahid Rana is one of the country’s top fast bowlers, and since he will be playing all three formats, he was placed in the ‘B’ category."

While Nahid Rana has played in both Test and ODI formats and was part of the T20 squad for the West Indies series (although he didn’t debut), Zakir Ali, who has shown solid performance in all formats, would have likely accumulated more points. 

This discrepancy in grading has only fueled the frustration among players.

Looking at the national team’s recent performances, it’s clear that things are not going well. 

Despite being a seasoned cricketer, Liton Kumar Das was excluded from the Champions Trophy squad, and the team’s overall performance has been underwhelming. 

The national team struggled in the 2023 ODI World Cup, losing a series to Afghanistan and suffering a whitewash at the hands of the West Indies in 50-over cricket. 

However, under the leadership of Mehedi Hasan Miraz, the team managed to win a Test match, and Liton led them to a T20 series victory.

In this context, the BCB is reportedly planning for the future with the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind. 

However, critics suggest that the central contract system seems to have been influenced by the selectors’ personal preferences, rather than a focus on the best interests of the team.

A former selector shared their thoughts on the matter, saying, "From now on, cricketers will have to keep the selectors‍‍` preferences in mind.

Players who are on the central contract list will likely be chosen based on the selectors‍‍` decisions, just like we saw this time. 

The old guidelines were thrown aside, and the selectors chose who they wanted, which is clearly reflected in the grading."

However, these claims remain unverified as selectors have not responded to inquiries about the issue.