Following hot on the heels of the successful Women's Indian Premier League (IPL) and the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with its women's franchise format, questions are swirling around the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) plans for a similar venture – the Women's BPL.
Unlike the men's game, where franchise leagues are flourishing across the globe, Bangladesh women's cricket seems to be lagging behind. Despite assurances, BCB officials themselves appear uncertain about when, or even if, a Women's BPL will come to fruition.
Habibul Bashar Sumon, Head of the Women's Wing, was grilled on the matter during a recent meeting in Mirpur. While acknowledging the potential benefits for the sport, he offered a somewhat ambiguous response. "We're hopeful of launching a girls' BPL sometime in the future, if not next season," he remarked.
This lack of clarity is particularly frustrating given the positive reception of the Women's IPL and the imminent launch of the CPL's women's franchise league. President Nazmul Hasan Papon had previously promised a Women's BPL following the Bangladesh women's series against India, but a year has passed with no further discussion.
Sumon, however, remains optimistic about the potential impact. "There's no doubt a Women's BPL would be hugely beneficial for women's cricket in Bangladesh," he asserted. "It's the way the game is heading, and I'm confident we'll see it happen here eventually."
While Sumon couldn't provide a definitive timeline, he did offer a glimmer of hope.
"It might not be this year, but next year is certainly a possibility," he stated. "The key is to ensure it benefits not just individual players, but the entire women's cricket ecosystem in Bangladesh. It's happening elsewhere, and I believe it's only a matter of time before we see it happen here too."
The wait for a Women's BPL continues, but with the growing popularity of women's franchise cricket worldwide, the pressure is mounting on the BCB to deliver. Whether they can translate their assurances into action remains to be seen.
