BCB waiting for Covid-19 vaccine to start DPL

878

DHAKA, Nov 28, 2020 (BSS) – The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is waiting for Covid-19 vaccine to start the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) which was postponed after one round in last March.

Bangladesh has recently signed an agreement with the Serum Institute of India and Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited for availing three crore doses of Covidshield, a potential Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford.

Kazi Inam, the chairman of BCB’s Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), said it is better to vaccinate all DPL cricketers, officials and associates on a priority basis and complete the remaining matches of the DPL, which have been suspended.

“In that case, we will try our best to vaccinate all the players and all those who are involved with it to manage the game,” he said.

The BCB had already arranged three-team BCB President’s Cup and a five-team Bangabandhu T20 Cup, which is now going on, keeping the players in the bio-bubble amid Covid-19 pandemic.

But for DPL, they have to keep the players and officials of 12 teams in the bio-bubble which is tougher job.

BCB and CCDM are in dire straits over how to organize the remaining rounds of the league by keeping 12 clubs under bio-bubble.

CCDM chairman said it was not possible to start DPL in January since the West Indies team will be touring Bangladesh in that period.

CCDM could not complete the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League of 2019-20 season due to Covid-19 situation. Although the 2020-21 season has already started, they have not been able to take initiative in organizing the postponed league. The 2020-21 cricket season will end after April.

The CCDM chairman said they want to complete the DPL, the main source of livelihood for the largest number of cricketers in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket, this season. He said that if necessary, two DPLs are planned in six months.

“However, we have to look at the issue of the players and the issue of the club. Since there was a match last season, we have to continue it and finish it first. That will be our main objective,” he remarked.