Bizarre Dhaka League match to be investigated

The BCB has formed a three-member committee to investigate the second division Dhaka League match between Lalmatia Club and Axiom Cricketers at the City Club ground, where a bowler conceded 92 runs off just four legal deliveries on April 11.

Sujon Mahmud, playing for Lalmatia, gave away 65 wides and 15 no-balls in an over as a form of protest against biased umpiring. BCB president Nazmul Hassan said the incident was "harmful" for Bangladesh cricket and that the board's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) had looked into it. In addition, BCB directors Jalal Yunus, Akram Khan and Sheikh Sohel would speak to all parties involved in the incident - the captains, coaches and the umpires - and deliver a report by the end of the week.

"The BCB's ACSU looked into the matter of the 4-ball 92 game, and will present their report soon," Hassan said. "We have also formed a three-member umpires' committee consisting of Sohel, Akram Khan and Jalal Yunus who will report to us in three days about the same incident."

The umpiring standards were also criticised during last year's Dhaka Premier League, the premier tournament in the Dhaka league system. In response, the board set up three cameras at each venue in this season's competition. Hassan said the next two tiers - the first and second division - would also have cameras from next season.

"We said last year that we would do something about the umpiring problem, so this year we fitted three cameras in every Dhaka Premier League venue," Hassan said. "I haven't heard any complaints about umpiring so far this year. From next season, we will do a similar thing in the first and second divisions too. We will assess the umpires."

Hassan also said the umpires were scared of board directors, many of whom are directly related to several Dhaka clubs participating in the four-tier league.

"We have to strengthen our umpires for the sake of Bangladesh cricket's future. We won't reach a right decision if we keep sacking umpires based on complaints. They are, in any case, afraid of the board directors."

Sheikh Sohel was named as the umpires' committee chairman after Nazmul Karim passed away on April 18.