The issue came to light after the Rajshahi franchise owner, Shafiq Rahman, had previously announced that tickets had been arranged for the foreign players to return to their home countries
Photo: @MominulCric/X
Durbar Rajshahi, a franchise in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), has become the latest subject of controversy in the world of cricket. Reports have surfaced indicating that the franchise has failed to pay the fees owed to its foreign players and staff members, causing a significant uproar.
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The issue came to light after the Rajshahi franchise owner, Shafiq Rahman, had previously announced that tickets had been arranged for the foreign players to return to their home countries. However, due to the failure to clear their dues, many high-profile players are now stranded in a team hotel in Dhaka.
The bus driver of Durbar Rajshahi has stopped the cricketers' kit bags due to the non-receipt of their 7 lakh taka salary. A foreign cricketer from Rajshahi confirmed this to Channel 24 TV.#BPL2025 pic.twitter.com/rToqUF6PeX
— Mominul Islam (@MominulCric) February 2, 2025
As reported by Cricbuzz, the foreign players - Mohammad Haris from Pakistan, Aftab Alam from Afghanistan, Mark Deyal and Miguel Cummins from the West Indies, and Ryan Burl from Zimbabwe - have been left in limbo, desperately trying to contact the team management about their unpaid fees, but receiving no response. The situation has grown increasingly dire, with several local players from the Durbar Rajshahi camp even checking out of the hotel, having also not received their payments.
In an alarming twist, the franchise’s troubles deepened when it was revealed that the bus driver, who had been responsible for transporting the team across the country throughout the tournament, had also not been paid. In a dramatic turn of events, the bus driver, Mohammad Babul, took matters into his own hands. He locked the kit bags and belongings of all the players inside the team bus, making it clear that they would only be returned once his payment was cleared.
Speaking to the media, Babul expressed his frustration, stating, "It's a matter of regret and shame. If they had paid us, we would have returned the kit bags to the players. Until now, I have remained silent, but now I am speaking out. We can leave, but only once our payment is settled." He further clarified, “The kit bags of both local and foreign players are locked in the bus, but I cannot give them back as a large portion of our remuneration remains unpaid.”
The situation has cast a shadow over the franchise’s reputation, particularly after their lackluster performance in the 2025 BPL season. Durbar Rajshahi, despite having a strong roster, failed to reach the playoffs, finishing in fifth place with only six wins from 12 matches. Their final match of the season was against the Sylhet Strikers on January 27 in Dhaka. This ongoing financial dispute is yet another blow to the already underperforming franchise, and it remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved.
