Senior-treatment compromises auction integrity

Twelve years -- that's how long the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) went without an auction. And with unexpected surprises, unprecedented requests, and an overall underwhelming foreign-player pool, Sunday's return to the auction table was, in many ways, reflective of the BPL's fragile reputation.

While Mohammad Naim fetching Tk 1.1 crore for Chattogram Royals and Bangladesh T20I skipper Litton Das joining Rangpur Riders for Tk 70 lakh added to the usual unpredictability, what truly stole the spotlight was a request for a change in rule mid-auction -- and an instant approval -- to prevent veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad from being demoted despite both going unsold in the first call.

According to the by-laws, if players from a specific category go unsold in the first call, they are automatically moved down to a lower category, reducing their base price.

None of the six franchises showed interest in Mushfiqur or Mahmudullah -- both placed in Category B with a base price of Tk 35 lakh -- during the first call. After the local-player segment ended, the duo were set to join other unsold players in Category C. But a Rangpur Riders official, who is also a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director, made an unprecedented request to keep the pair in Category B. Startling as it was, BPL member secretary Iftekhar Rahman Mithu approved it immediately.

The official argued the move was intended to "preserve respect" for the duo but seemed unaware of how it compromised the integrity and fairness of the auction. The BPL member secretary also did not pause to consider the repercussions. They were, perhaps, fortunate that other franchises -- most of whom had already secured their preferred picks while consciously passing over the two former national captains -- agreed, whether gladly or politely, to an arrangement that undermined competitive balance.

Both players attracted just one bidder each. And even though it seemed they were not part of most teams' plans, it is also possible that some franchises intended to pick up Mahmudullah or Mushfiqur at a lower price once they naturally dropped a category. Rangpur Riders were the sole suitor for Mahmudullah, while Mushfiqur was eventually snapped up by Rajshahi Warriors. 

The entire episode was unprecedented and troubling. Fair-auction principles dictate that all players -- regardless of reputation, seniority, or past service -- must be treated equally; otherwise, players like Mohammad Rubel, who was picked by Rajshahi at a lower price after dropping a category, might justifiably feel aggrieved.

If the Rangpur official wished to honour the duo, he could have signed them directly before the auction or, at the very least, bid for them when they first appeared in Category B. Instead, the preferential treatment created a hierarchy that discriminated against other players.