Cricket in Chattogram at a standstill

Chattogram, a regular host of international fixtures and the ongoing Bangladesh-West Indies T20I series, has long been one of the country's main cricketing centres.

While local fans frequently get to enjoy international matches, they have been deprived of regional competitions -- once a hallmark of the port city's cricketing culture.

In recent years, only a few districts outside Dhaka have maintained regular domestic leagues. Chattogram, which produced stars like Akram Khan, Minhajul Abedin Nannu, Aftab Ahmed, Nafees Iqbal, Tamim Iqbal, and Mominul Haque, had long been an exception.

For decades, the city successfully hosted its own premier league and lower-tier tournaments every year without interruption.

That legacy, however, has come to a halt. Since the fall of the Awami League government, cricket in Chattogram has been at a standstill. This year, the city's premier league could not be organised, and even the second-division league -- which was midway through the season during the political unrest -- was postponed with only a few matches remaining. More than a year later, it has yet to resume.

Although a regional franchise-based T20 competition was held in August–September this year, featuring 11 districts from the Chattogram Division, it did little to satisfy the appetite of local players, organisers, and fans.

According to members of the city's cricket fraternity, strained relations between the former deputy commissioner and club officials played a major role in halting activities. The dissolution of the previous District Sports Association following the regime change and the inactivity of the current ad-hoc committee have only deepened the crisis.

"The previous deputy commissioner didn't have much interest in sports. The club association wanted to convey their need to resume the leagues, but she wasn't keen to listen," said a Chattogram club official, requesting anonymity.

The biggest sufferers have been the cricketers -- many now facing severe financial hardship.

"Players are losing significant income. In Chattogram, players are paid better than in Dhaka -- top players earn Tk 9-10 lakh for just 12 matches. Isn't that a big loss for local players?" said wicketkeeper-batter Jasim Uddin, who represented Bandar Sporting Club in the last edition of the premier league and also regularly plays in the Dhaka league.

"Players like Irfan Shukkur and Yasir Ali also play here. Around 240 players represent 12 teams in the premier league, and many more compete in the lower divisions. Some club officials even went into hiding after August 5 due to financial issues," he added.

Efforts are now underway to revive cricket in the city. With assistance from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Chattogram club officials are attempting to rebuild ties with the current administration. To that end, BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul is visiting Chattogram today.

Bulbul is scheduled to attend the inauguration of the Mayor Challenge Cup Football Tournament at the M. A. Aziz Stadium, where he is also expected to meet Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam and Chattogram Mayor Shahadat Hossain to discuss possible solutions to the crisis.

Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury, one of the two BCB directors from the Chattogram Division and a veteran local organiser, expressed optimism about Bulbul's visit.

"We are hopeful of settling the matter soon," Ahsan told The Daily Star. "My first priority is to restart district club cricket and then launch the premier league in January. We lack umpires and coaches, so I've requested the board to arrange training programmes for both in Chattogram."

He also emphasised the need to expand cricket beyond the city.

"We need to revive district leagues in all 10 districts of the division. Noakhali doesn't even have a proper cricket ground, and other districts lack facilities and infrastructure. Outside Chattogram, only Cox's Bazar hosts a league -- which they jokingly call the 'World Cup' because it happens once every four years," he said.

"We must build basic infrastructure and practice facilities before restarting the leagues; otherwise, we won't progress sustainably."

While Chattogram does not face the venue shortages that plague many districts, the challenge now lies in restoring coordination and confidence. Whether the city can bring cricket back to the field remains to be seen -- but hopes are once again rising in Bangladesh's cricketing heart outside Dhaka.