NCL T20 mess highlights BCB’s lack of foresight

Incessant rain has finally forced the postponement of the NCL T20 tournament for an indefinite period, the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) tournament committee confirmed yesterday.

The NCL T20 is the country's second-most important T20 competition, after the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). With the national team still far behind modern T20 standards, the tournament could have been an ideal platform for youngsters to sharpen their skills. However, that opportunity has now been severely hampered due to scheduling complications, largely stemming from BCB's lack of foresight.

Questions have been raised about why the tournament, which carries significant weight for domestic players, was scheduled in September -- right in the middle of the rainy season.

"The way the grounds are at the moment due to heavy rain, even in the next seven days, play was impossible," said a player who traveled from Bogura to Rajshahi for matches before the postponement was announced.

"We just practice and go back to our hotel. We were so excited to play the tournament, but since no matches took place, everyone is frustrated. We don't have any control over the weather, so we're just hoping things improve from here," the player added.

If Bangladesh are to develop T20 capabilities, the tournament must be held under the right conditions. Across the world, good sporting tracks and flat surfaces are the norm in T20 cricket. Even if such conditions were ensured, the rainy season in September was always going to disrupt proceedings.

When the BPL -- Bangladesh's premier franchise T20 event -- has frequently failed to meet expectations, the NCL T20 had raised hopes among players that it would offer something better.

Last year, the tournament was held in November, with rain not being an issue. That allowed the competition to take place in good spirits, giving younger players a chance to showcase their abilities in a format where Bangladesh has historically lagged.

With the T20 World Cup scheduled for February-March next year, identifying new talents to address gaps in the pipeline and keeping players engaged through regular T20 cricket should have been a clear priority.

Sources revealed that ground conditions in Bogura and Rajshahi were abysmal due to rain, as the venues suffer from poor drainage systems. Since Bogura's Shaheed Chandu Stadium was set to host cricket again after a long gap, it would have been more prudent to schedule matches there later in the tournament.

Now, the remainder of the tournament will be played in Sylhet. While there was huge fan interest in Bogura, the same hype is unlikely in Sylhet, which already hosts international cricket regularly.

Bangladesh featured in their landmark 200th T20I last night against Afghanistan in the ongoing Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi. However, back home, BCB is yet to properly organise a tournament that is a potential platform for developing future T20 stars.