13-point demands of Bangladesh cricketers

With their previous 11 points of demand, the Bangladesh national cricketers added two more -- sharing the revenue the BCB generates and implementing all the demands for women cricket.

On behalf of the cricketers, Supreme Court lawyer Mustafizur Rahman Khan placed the list of demands in a press briefing at a hotel in Gulshan area on Wednesday evening.

Earlier on Monday, the players declared that they would refrain from taking part in any cricketing activities till their demands were met.

Here are the demands they put forward:

1. Let the players decide who will be the president and the general secretary of Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB).

2. The players should have the right to decide which team they would play for and how much they should be paid.

3. The players are willing to play the 'special' BPL, but from the next year the franchise-based system should resume. The gap between the prices of local and foreign players need to be bridged. Let the players decide who will be put in which grade of the drafts.

4-5. The pay package for playing first class games needs to be better. They feel match fee should be raised by 50 per cent, which will mean the amount getting increased to Tk 100,000. Training and gym facilities should also be improved. Coaches, physios and trainers should be emplyed for the whole year so that first class cricketers can follow their advices.

They know that these facilities cannot be ensured this season, but from the next year they should get them. All the divisional teams should get ample facilities. The first class matches should be played with a quality ball since the national players find it difficult with sub-standard balls.

The players should be kept at better hotels when they go on touers during first class matches and the food quality should improve. The hotels should have swimming and gym facilities. The players should travel by air.

6. The number of national players on a contract has to be increased to 30. The salaries have not been raised in the last three years, so that has to be increased, too.

7. Local coaches should get due importance. The pay disparity between local and foreign coaches needs to be eliminated. The umpires, physios, trainers and groundsmen all should get better salaries and facilities.

8. The number of ODI and T20 matches needs to be increased. There should be another T20 tournament before the BPL. Previously in the National League, an ODI game was played besides the first class match. That needs to be reintroduced.
9. There should be a schedule of the local cricket matches so that players can plan well ahead.

10. The arrears of the Premier League needs to be cleared in due time.

11. The ban on playing more than two franchises need to be lifted. If there is no commitment with the national team or the national league, a player has to be free to play elsewhere.

12. Bringing up transparency in cricket-management and ensuring accountability. The players should be given a fair share of the revenue earned by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

13. Same reforms should be taken for female cricketers. They should be treated equally like men’s team.