Financial Crisis Forces Player Boycott

In an unprecedented turn of events in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL), Brothers Union conceded a walkover against Agrani Bank on Friday at the BKSP venue. The match, part of Bangladesh's premier List A competition, never commenced after the Brothers Union squad refused to take the field, prompting match officials to award the points to Agrani Bank.

The decision came after a series of failed negotiations between the players and club officials regarding unpaid dues. Despite arriving at the venue, the team remained off the field, and captain Zahiduzzaman failed to appear for the toss, forcing umpires Moniruzzaman and Shaheen Shareef to declare the unusual result in the presence of match referee Enayet Chowdhury.

"Our Last Resort": Players Speak Out

Sohag Gazi, a former Bangladesh international and current member of the squad, emphasized that the boycott was a desperate measure after all other avenues of communication had been exhausted. He revealed that while the club paid an initial 20% installment before the opening match, subsequent payments—specifically a promised 30% installment due before Eid—never materialized.

"It is purely a payment issue. There is nothing else. We were forced into this at the last moment... We have families too. We have to survive and support them. Many players could not pay their house rent. Some could not buy groceries," Gazi stated.

Gazi further alleged that players were treated with indifference, recounting instances where they waited hours outside an official's house only to be handed meager sums ranging from Tk 6,000 to Tk 35,000. He noted that roughly 25 to 30 families were unable to celebrate Eid properly due to the financial strain.

Failure of Intervention and Severe Consequences

The players had sought the assistance of the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), but Gazi claimed the club ignored these efforts. According to the player, the club's attitude was dismissive: "The message we got was: play if you want, don't play if you don't. If the team goes down, that's not a problem."

The consequences of this walkover are severe. Under Clause 16.15.2 of the DPL by-laws, Brothers Union now faces the following penalties:

• Relegation: The team will be considered one of the relegated teams from the competition.
• Financial Penalties: The club must return the financial grant received from the BCB and pay a fine of BDT 20,000 (approx. USD 162).
• Statistical Erasure: All runs scored and wickets taken by the team's players during the tournament will be removed from official statistics.