NCL’s Second XI to begin on Oct 7

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to start the Second XI Championship of the National Cricket League (NCL) on October 7, with all matches scheduled to be played in Dhaka.

The BCB is also set to introduce a final in the tournament, which is being organised for the first time.

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BKSP, PKSP, Bashundhara Sports City Cricket Ground and Cricketers’ Academy are set to host the Second XI Championship.

“We will have about four to five grounds at these venues. BKSP 1 has also been included in the middle to give the wickets some rest. BKSP 3 and 4 will host most of the matches at that venue,” a BCB tournament committee official told The Daily Star.

The schedule has also been finalised, while fitness tests for players from both the NCL and Second XI Championship will be held on October 22 and 23.

“There are a total of 29 matches and every team will play seven matches. Since we are holding this tournament for the first time, we wanted to make it a little special and included a final. Normally, we don’t do it for leagues, but since it’s the first tournament, it will be easier for ranking teams,” the official said.

The final is scheduled for November 13.

The BCB had announced the idea of the tournament earlier this year, with board president Tamim Iqbal saying it was aimed at creating more opportunities for players outside the national and top-tier domestic setup.

“If you look at the design of Bangladesh cricket, you will see that maximum cricket is centred around just one segment of players. Those who play for the national team are the ones playing BPL, BCL and NCL. One segment of players are getting the chance to play five or six tournaments,” Tamim had said in April while announcing the tournament.

“But for those who play the third division, second division or first division, there is no cricket for them other than playing those specific leagues. Because of this, there are very few instances in our cricketing history where a player has made it to the national team from the second or third division. This is because we could never create that platform.

“So, we have all collectively made a decision and, Inshallah, we will start from this season,” he had added.