Players wait to be paid
NEW ZEALAND Cricket Players Association chief executive Heath Mills has branded the Bangladeshi Premier League the worst- run operation in world cricket, as reports of unpaid fees continue to dog the young Twenty20 competition.
During the week, Tim May, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations chief executive, said a large number of overseas professionals playing the league, which began on January 18, had yet to receive any payment for their involvement. Former England representative Owais Shah was the first international to reveal he was still awaiting payment.
May suggested the league should be boycotted by players in the future. New Zealand have two players involved in the 2013 BPL season – Jacob Oram for the Chittagong Kings, and Lou Vincent for the Khulna Royal Bengals.
Both former Black Caps were still owed some money, but each had received a portion of their overall payments. It has been reported that players were promised 25 per cent of their fees on arrival in Bangladesh, a further 25 per cent before their final game, and the last half of their contract within 150 days of the end of the IPL – on February 19.
‘‘In terms of organisation, having professional contracts and systems in place, [the BPL] is about the worst I’ve ever seen in world cricket,’’ Mills said.
‘The two Kiwi players received up- front payments before they went. They are reasonably OK over there at the moment, and just trying to play some cricket.
‘‘But from an international perspective, the vast majority of players haven’t been paid, although there are some payments coming through now.’’
It is understood some international players, though no New Zealanders, received their final payments for last year’s BPL only weeks before this season began.
Mills said the NZCPA advised players against travelling to the BPL this year, which they have extended to the fledgling Pakistan Twenty20 competition.
‘‘The amount of terrorist activity in Pakistan is quite significant, and there’s concerns with elections coming up. So our strong advice is players shouldn’t travel to that event for security reasons.’’