Bangladesh strike deal with GrameenPhone

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has struck a deal for a two-year extension with GrameenPhone, the official sponsors of the Bangladesh team for the last two years. The extension of the contract came at the cost Taka 3.5 crore, more than double the amount that GrameenPhone had to pay for their first contract.

The extension of the initial contract which was worth Taka 1.5 crore came after Bangladesh's impressive string of performances; a win against India at home, a Test and one-day series win against Zimbabwe which was followed by an impressive showing on their tour of England where they beat Australia in a one-day match. "Bangladesh have been playing good cricket in the recent months and that's why our partner in development came up with a better deal," Ali Asghar, the BCB president, was quoted as saying in The Daily Star.

"GrameenPhone has always been in the forefront in supporting the development of cricket in Bangladesh over the years. The company has supported BCB in many other areas in the past like Pacer Hunt Programme. We will continue our support in future," said Erik Aas, the managing director of GrameenPhone. "We will continue to maintain the policy to disbursing fifteen percent of the amount to the national players," said Macky Dudhia, the BCB's chief executive.