No more 'picnic tournament', says BCB as revamped NCL begins today

A new-look National Cricket League (NCL) gets underway on Saturday across four venues, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) introducing several changes in an attempt to revive domestic cricket and make the first-class competition more competitive.

Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the BCB has increased match fees for the four-day NCL as well as other domestic competitions across formats.

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The board has also introduced division-specific coloured baggy caps and helmets for players from the eight participating teams. Captains will wear customised coloured blazers during the toss, another first for Bangladesh’s first-class cricket.

The BCB is also set to unveil a new shield-shaped trophy for the NCL, while Kookaburra balls will return this season. They were used in the first two rounds last season before being replaced by Duke balls, which had been used in previous editions.

The biggest change, however, is the introduction of a Second XI competition. All eight teams will be able to field a second side from their respective regions in a separate tournament, which begins on October 7. The initiative is aimed at strengthening the domestic pipeline and giving more playing opportunities to domestic cricketers.

“The most significant structural change in the tournament is introducing the Second XI. For a long time, the NCL was treated almost like a ‘picnic tournament’, where players did not play with much seriousness or dedication. Now, with the introduction of the Second XI, performing players from the lower tier can earn opportunities to play in the top team during the tournament,” BCB tournament committee chairman Sirajuddin Md Alamgir told The Daily Star on Friday.

“Those in the top team who fail to perform -- no matter how high-profile or senior a national player they are -- will be dropped to the lower team. In the lower tier, facilities are minimal and match fees are lower, whereas the top tier offers far better facilities and significantly higher match fees. Because of this, young players will strive and perform to reach the top tier, while those already at the top will fight to retain their spots.

“Introducing the Second XI builds real competitive pressure. Furthermore, we have doubled top-tier match fees [Tk 1.5 lakh from Tk 80 thousand] compared to previous years. Players will fight to earn that top match fee, but to get it, they must perform; otherwise, they get demoted. This playing competition is the core change. Additionally, by providing baggy caps, customised helmets, and having captains wear blazers during the toss, we are signalling to the players that the board is taking this tournament very seriously and that surviving here requires continuous performance and competition,” he added.

The availability of national team players for much of the tournament, which runs until November 17, remains a concern, however.

Top Bangladesh cricketers are currently in Japan and the UAE, where they are featuring in the Asian Games and preparing for a one-off Test against Afghanistan and an ODI tri-series involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

Bangladesh will then play a two-match home Test series against the West Indies, beginning on October 28, before touring South Africa for a full-fledged series.

According to team officials, the national players are likely to feature in one or two rounds at most this season, with the majority expected to participate in the third round, scheduled for October 17-20, and the fourth round, from October 24-27.

“Having national players available full-time in domestic first-class cricket is very difficult because international calendars and commitments take priority. Rather than seeing this negatively, I consider this a positive opportunity. It gives young players outside the national squad the chance to perform and build pressure on incumbent national players. If a young player scores big runs in the NCL, they will naturally be brought into national selection consideration. If someone in the national team underperforms, they can be replaced by these performing youngsters,” said Sirajuddin.

Sirajuddin added that the board is also working on increasing the salaries of coaching staff and hopes to bring more spectators to the galleries from next season, as there was not enough time to implement such an initiative this year.

“Everything cannot be fully covered in a single go. Due to time constraints this year, there were several things we couldn't address. Next year, for matches played outside Dhaka, we will look into making attendance mandatory for local cricket academy players or finding a structured process to bring them to the stadium. We had to handle many tasks simultaneously this time, so spectator initiatives will be focused on next year,” he concluded.