BCB Doubles Domestic Match Fees in Landmark Announcement

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has delivered a significant financial boost to the country’s domestic cricketers, announcing on Thursday a sweeping increase in match fees across all formats. The decision, confirmed by BCB president Tamim Iqbal following a working committee meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, comes at a time of uncertainty for players following the postponement of the Bangladesh Premier League.

The new structure represents a doubling or more of existing fees for both men and women, a move Tamim described as a long-term solution rather than a one-year fix.

New Fee Structure for Men

Under the revised framework, men’s cricketers will receive Tk 1.5 lakh for every first-class match, a substantial increase from the previous Tk 70,000. This follows an earlier hike to Tk 1 lakh implemented by Tamim himself when he took over as head of the BCB ad-hoc committee.

The List A match fee has been doubled to Tk 1 lakh per match, up from Tk 50,000, while the domestic T20 match fee has been increased to Tk 80,000 from Tk 40,000.

Increases for Women’s Cricket

Women’s cricketers have also benefited significantly from the revision. The match fee for a four-day match has been doubled from Tk 20,000 to Tk 40,000. One-day match fees have risen from Tk 15,000 to Tk 30,000, while the T20 match fee has been doubled from Tk 10,000 to Tk 20,000.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Tamim framed the decision as a collective effort, emphasising unity between the board and the players.

“I don’t consider it two sides at all. There is only one side, that we are all one. Cricketers, the cricket board, directors, president – all are one,” he said.

The BCB president acknowledged the financial impact of the BPL postponement, noting that the league typically provides opportunities for 50 to 70 local cricketers. However, he stressed the importance of supporting the broader pool of 150 to 200 players who compete across first-class, List A and T20 competitions.

“I never wanted a one-year solution for the players. I wanted there to be a solution, my board wanted there to be a solution that would benefit them year after year after year,” Tamim said.

He calculated that a domestic cricketer playing a full season under the new structure, including salary, would earn approximately Tk 35 lakh to Tk 40 lakh annually. “If you divide that by 12, a player will have an income of more than Tk 3 lakh per month. To run their family, I don’t think they will need to worry anymore,” he added.

Professionalism Demanded in Return

While welcoming the players’ demands, Tamim made it clear that the board expects a corresponding commitment to professionalism.

“We will fully fulfil the demands that came from the players’ side, but they also have to fulfil the demands from our side,” he said. “There will be no sacrifice when it comes to professionalism in first-class cricket.”

He warned that the board would not entertain requests from players who fail the mandatory pre-season fitness test. “When the board is providing everything and giving all financial support, the professionalism from the players’ side will now also be monitored very strongly,” he added.

Commercial Restructuring on the Horizon

Separately, Cricbuzz understands that the BCB is no longer willing to bear the full financial burden of tournaments such as the National Cricket League T20, the Bangladesh Cricket League four-day and one-day competitions.

Under a proposed model, the board plans to market the BCL four-day, BCL one-day and NCL T20 tournaments as a single commercial package. Each competition would feature six privately owned teams, with approximately 60 days allocated for the combined schedule.

The traditional eight-team NCL four-day championship, however, will continue in its existing format with divisional teams, alongside a three-day NCL Second XI competition.

                                               

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