BPL: BCB takes over ownership of Chattogram Royals day before start of new season

The BCB has taken over the reins at new Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) team Chattogram Royals after the franchise owner decided to withdraw, a day away from the start of the 12th edition of the tournament.

Triangle Services Limited bought the franchise from the BCB and even took part in the auction last month. However, they wrote to the BCB on Wednesday to convey the decision, which, it appears, is because of lack of sponsor interest in the team.

"They have given the BCB a letter three hours ago so we have officially taken over the team," BPL chairman Iftekhar Rahman told ESPNcricinfo. "It is an unexpected situation. The franchise wrote in the letter that due to media reports, they couldn't find sponsors for the team. We have been strict about integrity and player payment this season. We don't want a situation like the Rajshahi franchise last year."

The initial editions after the tournament started in 2012 had a number of payment issues, before a period from 2016 to 2019 when things were better. The issue reared its ugly head again last season. The worst of this was when the Durbar Rajshahi players boycotted a training session and a match protesting delays in various categories of payments, including daily allowances and hotel bills. It needed government intervention for the owners to pay up.

Rahman said that the BCB had appointed Habibul Bashar as team director. Mizanur Rahman Babul has reportedly taken over the head coach's role, while Nafees Iqbal is the new manager of the team.

The development is another major blow to the T20 league that has garnered a poor reputation over the years. There were calls for a complete revamp of the BPL brand, but the BCB pressed on despite having a hard time finding new franchises for the next five-year cycle, and has stuck with the original schedule in December-January.

Royals were one of the four new franchises in the BPL, which now has six teams as opposed to the seven till last year, but the team has been making the wrong kind of headlines in the last few weeks. Team owner Kayum Rashed confirmed in a recent interview to the Daily Sun that two individuals, who were reportedly red-flagged in the corruption report submitted by the BCB's independent inquiry committee, were involved with the franchise.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCB was concerned by this, even as it said in a statement on December 9 that the franchise had settled the necessary fees and bank guarantees.

The BCB has confirmed that Royals' opening-day match against Noakhali Express, another of the new teams, will go ahead as scheduled.