Dhaka: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided in principle to hold the Women's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in February, shortly after the completion of the ongoing Men's BPL. It will be a one-off tournament, said BCB director Najmul Abedin Fahim, as the board wants to see how it works.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the BCB has been contemplating ways to advance women's cricket, leading to the decision to organize the Women's BPL. Fahim stated, "The board was thinking for some time about how we can take women's cricket forward. Keeping that in mind, there was a thought about whether a BPL for women could be held. Today we reached a consensus that we'll hold it."
Initially, the BCB plans to launch the Women's BPL with three teams, which will compete against each other on a double-league basis. The top two teams will advance directly to the final. All the matches will be held at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, with one overseas player allowed per team.
Fahim emphasized the experimental nature of this tournament, saying, "We will organize the Women's Bangladesh Premier League with three teams," and added that the tournament will commence immediately after the completion of the Men's BPL. The WBPL is expected to conclude within eight to nine days, with each team playing against each other twice. Discussions with some franchises have already taken place, and they have shown interest. Fahim expressed hope that this initiative would propel women's cricket forward by introducing this competition.