United Tigers owner Zaffir Yasin Chowdhury has expressed deep disappointment following the decision not to grant No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the four Bangladeshi cricketers selected by the franchise for this season’s Abu Dhabi T10 League.
For years, through our participation in major franchise tournaments including Global T20 Canada, the Lanka T10 Super League and ZimAfro T10 League, we have remained committed to promoting Bangladesh cricket internationally and creating opportunities for both established players and emerging talent.
In continuation of that commitment, United Tigers selected four Bangladeshi cricketers for this season’s Abu Dhabi T10. United Tigers are the only franchise in the competition this season to have selected Bangladeshi players.
Under the captaincy of Fakhar Zaman, we believed this would provide those players with an important opportunity to compete on an international platform and share a dressing room with experienced cricketers from around the world.
It is therefore deeply disappointing that the players have not been granted NOCs, particularly when, to our understanding, they have no international commitments during the relevant period.
The situation has developed under the current leadership of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, headed by President Mr. Tamim Iqbal, and we had expected greater clarity and coordination on matters that directly affect both Bangladeshi players and the international franchises committing significant resources to signing them.
Our concern goes far beyond the absence of four players from our squad.
Franchise cricket requires months of recruitment, strategic planning, contractual commitments and financial investment. If restrictions existed regarding the participation of Bangladeshi players in the Abu Dhabi T10, we believe they should have been clearly communicated before the players registered for and entered the draft.
Receiving such a decision after the squad had been completed, approximately 15 days before the tournament, places the franchise, its ownership and team management in an extremely difficult position.
Greater foresight and communication could have prevented a situation that now affects not only United Tigers, but also the players themselves and the confidence of international franchises considering Bangladeshi cricketers in the future.
Impact on Bangladeshi Players
The matter is even more concerning given the absence of the Bangladesh Premier League this year.
The BPL traditionally provides Bangladeshi cricketers, both international and domestic, with an important competitive and financial platform. Its absence has meant that players have missed valuable earnings, high-level match exposure and opportunities to share dressing rooms and compete alongside international stars.
Participation in the Abu Dhabi T10 with United Tigers could have helped address some of that gap.
For the four players selected by our franchise, the tournament offered an opportunity to gain international exposure, compete in a high-quality franchise environment and learn alongside experienced overseas campaigners.
I have personally spoken with some of the players selected by United Tigers, and they have expressed their frustration and disappointment regarding the situation. With no international duty during the tournament period, they understandably feel they are missing an important opportunity to participate in an international franchise competition for which they had already been selected.
A Concern for the Future
There is also a wider issue that should concern everyone who wants to see Bangladeshi players succeed internationally.
Decisions of this nature risk making overseas franchises hesitant to select Bangladeshi cricketers in future tournaments.
International franchises need confidence that a player selected through an official draft will be available to fulfil that commitment, subject of course to national-team responsibilities. When that certainty does not exist, franchises may become reluctant to invest draft positions, contracts, planning and resources in Bangladeshi players.
The consequence could ultimately be fewer opportunities for our cricketers to participate in overseas leagues, reducing their international exposure, financial opportunities and access to different competitive environments, all of which are important elements of player development.
We have always carried Bangladesh cricket with pride wherever we have competed. Our objective has consistently been to create opportunities for Bangladeshi players and strengthen their presence on the international stage.
Bangladesh possesses tremendous cricketing talent and one of the most passionate cricket communities in the world. At a time when our players need more pathways to compete, learn and develop internationally, the environment around them should create confidence, stability and opportunity, not uncertainty.
Zaffir Yasin Chowdhury
Owner, United Tigers