Fortune Barishal’s Dawid Malan said on Saturday that he is disappointed with the lack of playing opportunities so far in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025, the country’s lone franchise-based T20 tournament.
Malan, who retired from international cricket after featuring in 114 matches for England across all formats, is currently representing the defending champions in the ongoing BPL. Malan couldn’t hide his disappointment over his limited involvement in the ongoing season. He has played only one match in the ongoing tournament so far despite being available from the very beginning.
"We have a really big squad; it feels like we've got fifty players. When you have so many players, it's tough to give everyone enough game time," he remarked. “It’s frustrating to commit to a league for a full tournament when you know there are four tournaments on. You don’t want to sign up for a tournament and then sit on the bench when you are competing with other ones. From that point of view, it’s a bit frustrating especially when you have the option to play other leagues.”
“I guess that’s the challenge for Bangladesh. If you wanna track the best players, they don’t want to be sitting on the bench, they wanna be playing. So moving forward it’s how the BCB and the teams work it around,” he added.
The 37-year-old reflected on his early cricketing days in Bangladesh, particularly in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) and BPL, which he believes were instrumental in his development.
Speaking after a practice session at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday, he shared his admiration for the platform that Bangladesh cricket provided him.
"You know I played DPL years ago and it feels like 11-12 years now since that happened and I always find my way back here. Like the PSL, it helped me develop my game so much playing in different, tough conditions. I’m always forever grateful to the BPL, the DPL and Bangladesh Cricket for helping that development by allowing me to play in these leagues. Without it, I would not have been the player I am today. Being back in Bangladesh cricket is always a pleasure," Malan said.
Fortune Barishal will face Chittagong Kings, the home team, today. Tamim Iqbal, the local boy from Chattogram will be up against his hometown team.
Malan hoped the crowd would support the team despite acknowledging Chittagong would be a tough clash.
“I hope they support Tamim, because it's going to help us. I watched the game last night and the Chittagong team had a lot of support as they are the home team. They are actually a good team, playing some good cricket at the moment. I won't be surprised if they (crowd) support their own team,” Malan concluded.
Source: The Daily Sun
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