Bangladesh board didn't follow protocol - PCB

The PCB has said the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the organisers of the BPL had not followed the correct procedures with regards to signing Pakistan players, and has given that as the reason for their non-participation in Bangladesh's Twenty20 league. The Pakistan players, the PCB said, had been auctioned in Dhaka without permission and without any intimation from the BCB.

"There are great embarrassments when boards are bypassed and players approached directly," a PCB spokesman said. "This was regrettably felt by BCB when they approached PCB at the last moment for release of the players for their league.

"As per practice and procedures in vogue, a home board has to approach the visiting players' parent board seeking release of its players for their domestic cricket competitions. In BPL's case, BCB, their representatives or the players' agents were in contact directly with the Pakistan players and PCB was kept out of this process. Even the auction of Pakistan players at BPL was done without PCB's prior permission or intimation."

As many as 60 Pakistan players registered for the BPL auction but only 26 were sold to the seven franchises, but without the necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the PCB. The players had submitted their applications with an NOC from their department team instead.

However, apart from the issues with protocol, the withdrawal of Pakistan players is also centred on the standoff over a Bangladesh tour to Pakistan.

"The BCB committed to tour Pakistan in March 2012, this initiative was also supported by ICC," the PCB said. "But in an incident unprecedented in the history of world cricket, a court issued stay orders against a mutually agreed tour. The BCB promised again to tour Pakistan on January 10 but backed off once again. The BCB needs to take a step forward in reciprocation.

"The PCB, historically, has been extremely supportive of BCB. On request of BCB the PCB released its players for the first edition of BPL in 2012. The PCB also supported Mustaf Kamal's candidacy as vice president of ICC."