Umpires stage a walkout; Shuvo's blow to the neck

The tightest title race in decades
There is little doubt that Dhaka Premier League is Bangladesh's most competitive domestic tournament, but over the years it had been two to three clubs vying for the title till the very end. This year, however, all six Super League teams had a fair shot, something that had not happened in this league for the last two decades.

Victoria Sporting Club were highly impressive throughout the campaign, in spite of being dogged by player payment issues. Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club and Legends of Rupganj were always in the hunt with their experienced teams. Even when it was clear that Abahani Limited and Rupganj were the top contenders in the final week, Doleshwar kept pegging away and ended up as runners-up while Abahani became champions.

Ill umpires halt match
Umpires Tanvir Ahmed and Gazi Sohel walked out of the Abahani-Doleshwar Super League game on June 12, citing illness, and the game wasn't played on the reserve day, June 13. Nine days later, the BCB decided to award both teams a point each and declare the match a no-result.

The umpires had got into a heated exchange with Tamim Iqbal, Abahani's captain, after Tanvir turned down his side's stumping appeal. While the umpires' walkout was unprecedented in Bangladesh's domestic cricket, it was just the tip of the iceberg of umpire-related controversies in the DPL.

The umpiring, generally, was poor this season, with elementary mistakes like forgetting to use two balls from both ends, and getting confused with Powerplay regulations, being committed. Both these incidents happened in the same match. There were many controversial run-out, stumping and no-ball decisions too. Questions were also raised of BCB's umpires committee, who appointed low-graded umpires for important matches.

Allegations of unfairness
There were also allegations of unfairness levelled at the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, the BCB committee that runs the league. The Abahani-Doleshwar first-phase game was shifted to the BKSP-3 ground from Mirpur on short notice. Abahani played eight of their 16 matches at that venue.

The BCB will investigate allegations that the BKSP-3 groundsmen didn't cover the pitch properly ahead of the Brothers Union-Rupganj game that was eventually abandoned. They will also investigate the CCDM's changing the date of the Gazi Group Cricketers-Victoria Sporting Club match.

New helmets need to be adopted
Suhrawadi Shuvo's blow to the back of his neck was a reminder to Bangladeshi batsmen to be more aware about adequate protection. Newly designed helmets with stem-guards are the need of the hour, and many players who are not centrally contracted by the BCB are now looking to buy one. Comfort is certainly an issue but as Tamim said on the day Shuvo got hit, comfort is a small price to pay for being safe.

The Mashrafe show
Mashrafe Mortaza might be one of Bangladesh's best captains in the modern era, and despite the fact that he has lifted several domestic trophies, clubs this time were reluctant to pick him in the draft. Kalabagan Krira Chakra did so towards the end and Mashrafe produced a stellar performance. He finished with 22 wickets at an average of 20.22 and claimed a six-wicket haul against Rupganj. He also struck a 50-ball century against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

The rise of the offspinning allrounder
Bangladesh has produced several left-arm spinners over the years, but this season a few right-arm offspinners made their case. While Bangladesh allrounder Mahmudullah lived up to the billing of the draft's No 1 pick with 21 wickets in 11 matches, the likes of Mosaddek Hossain, Nahidul Islam and Habibur Rahman were among the offspin-bowling all-rounders to have made a mark.

Mosaddek led Abahani's charge to their 18th title by scoring 622 runs at an average of 77.75 and claiming 15 wickets in 16 matches. Rupganj's Nahidul showed his flexibility by regularly changing his position in the batting order, and was willing to bowl at any time of the innings. Habibur didn't sparkle with the bat, but he took important wickets and even opened the bowling with his offspin.

Player-payment issues
Victoria's players had threatened to meet the BCB after their scheduled payment wasn't made by club officials. They were promised 60% pay during the Super League, which they did not receive. The players wanted to go to the BCB again but that plan had to change after Shuvo got struck in the back of the neck against Abahani in Mirpur. Players from two other clubs have also complained of not being paid on time.

Earlier this week, the BCB gave the clubs 72 hours to pay up or they would face action. Unpaid players would be paid by the BCB, the board confirmed.

Slow to catch reported bowlers
BCB had laid a out plans of catching bowlers with suspected actions but it took them two months, almost the entire length of the league, to form the bowling action review committee.

In the league's first week, as many as seven bowlers were reported with Gazi Group's Mustafizur Rahman reported twice. The final number couldn't be determined but all these reported bowlers kept playing the matches.