Corruption Allegations in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)

British media outlet The Telegraph has uncovered over 30 allegations of corruption in the last two seasons of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Among these, players reportedly signed with one franchise and later played for another team for a higher fee. The report also states that some Bangladeshi players allegedly threatened not to play matches if their payments were delayed. These findings were published in The Telegraph's recent investigative piece.

On October 30, The Telegraph released a special report titled "Special Report: How Cricket Is Devouring Itself," focusing on corruption in various franchise leagues worldwide. A substantial part of this report sheds light on several undisclosed issues within the BPL.

Key points about the BPL from The Telegraph’s report:

The Bangladesh Premier League does not enlist the ICC’s (International Cricket Council) anti-corruption unit for oversight, opting instead for a cost-effective, in-house approach, unlike other leagues. This lack of ICC involvement raises concerns about the transparency of BPL's anti-corruption measures.

Over the past two years, more than 30 corruption allegations surfaced in the BPL, yet no one has faced a ban. Even players with proven allegations often continued to play in subsequent seasons without penalties.

An anonymous source told The Telegraph, “Many players fear reporting allegations. Firstly, they worry they might not get paid, and secondly, they may feel unsafe. They only report when directly approached, rarely speaking out based on suspicion alone.”

In this season of the Bangladesh Premier League, several players reportedly signed contracts with one franchise only to back out and sign with another. It has also been reported that Bangladeshi players issued threats of not playing matches if payments were withheld.