Lahore Qalandars co-owner Sameen Rana eyes Bangladesh Premier League entry

Sameen Rana keen on BPL role as BCB opens door to foreign franchises

Sameen Rana, the co-owner and chief operating officer of Pakistan Super League side Lahore Qalandars, has declared his interest in becoming involved in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) should a viable business opportunity present itself in the future.

Rana was spotted spending considerable time with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Tamim Iqbal at the Sheikh Abu Jayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi during Bangladesh's tri-series opener against Zimbabwe on Saturday. Speaking to the media during the lunch break, he made clear his desire to be part of the BPL.

"If there's an opportunity, I would love to be part of the BPL," Rana told reporters. "Obviously, Bangladesh is very close to my heart. I've been looking for an opportunity to be involved in Bangladesh cricket in some capacity. It really depends on what kind of opportunity comes along."

"The BPL is a wonderful tournament. I know it's been struggling for some time, and I know there are reasons behind that. But I think, with the kind of passion we have for cricket in Bangladesh and Pakistan, the league really shouldn't be struggling," he said. "And if an opportunity arises where we can create a win-win situation, I would absolutely love to be part of the BPL."

BCB open to foreign involvement

The BCB recently postponed the upcoming edition of the BPL as it seeks to address financial irregularities. Tamim Iqbal has, on several occasions, indicated that the board is open to foreign franchises joining the competition, provided they meet the required protocols — a stance that aligns with Rana's ambitions.

Drawing on a decade of franchise experience

Rana, who has been involved in the PSL for 11 years and has experience in other franchise competitions, said he had exchanged ideas with Tamim Iqbal on franchise cricket and hoped his experience could be useful to the BCB president.

"Some of the discussions I had with Tamim bhai were about sharing experiences. Obviously, I've been part of the PSL for 11 years. I've also been involved with the Global League in South Africa. We were part of that group. I've been involved in T10 cricket multiple times, and I've been interacting with Cricket Canada for quite some time. So, over the years, we've built a lot of knowledge, experience, and understanding. We were sharing some thoughts about how things could be improved," he said.

Player exchange programme on the table

Beyond a potential franchise role, Rana expressed interest in establishing a player exchange programme with the BCB, allowing Bangladeshi cricketers to train in Pakistan and benefit from Lahore Qalandars' high-performance setup. He pointed to similar initiatives already underway with other nations.

"Inshallah, I would love to come to Bangladesh. Hopefully, we'll find an opportunity through the BPL. And if not, I would love to establish an exchange programme with the Bangladesh Cricket Board."

"We've recently signed an agreement with Guyana, with their Ministry of Youth and Culture, and they'll be sending their players. We also had eight players from Zimbabwe spending six weeks at the High Performance Centre in Islamabad."

"So, I would love to see players from Bangladesh coming to Pakistan, if they're interested, so that we can learn from each other. That's my plan," he concluded.

Lahore Qalandars already enjoy a strong following in Bangladesh, with several Bangladeshi cricketers — including Shakib Al Hasan, Rishad Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman — having represented the franchise in the PSL.