BPL resumes: Royals bat first against Noakhali Express

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) roared back to life on Friday as the Chattogram Royals won the toss and opted to bat first against the Noakhali Express.

With this, the dramatic 24-hour player boycott came to an end.

The resumption signals a fragile truce between the cricketers and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) following a standoff triggered by BCB Director M Najmul Islam.

Players had refused to take the field on Thursday, demanding action after Nazmul labelled former captain Tamim Iqbal an “Indian agent” and mocked the national team’s financial value, asking whether the board should demand a refund of salaries if they failed to perform.

The deadlock eased after the BCB removed Najmul from his position as chairman of the Finance Committee and initiated disciplinary proceedings.

Although the board rejected the players’ demand for a public apology, the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) agreed to resume play in the “greater interest” of the tournament.

However, tensions remain high off the field. CWAB President Mohammad Mithun revealed late Thursday that he had received anonymous death threats warning that “no cricketer will walk safely” for leading the protest.