The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially launched its new Domestic-3 tournament, an ambitious across-format structure designed to consolidate the domestic calendar. As part of the rollout, six franchises—ACE Bluestars, Fortune, Citizen Bank, Walton Group, Seven Rings Cement, and ACME—held a lottery to select their icon cricketers. The resulting list saw several prominent national stars passed over in favor of players deemed more likely to be available throughout the entire competition. The franchises’ choices raised quite a few eyebrows.
The icon selections included Mehidy Hasan Miraz for Walton and Towhid Hridoy for Fortune. Other picks featured Mosaddek Hossain for ACME, Mushfiqur Rahim for Seven Rings Cement, Nurul Hasan Sohan for ACE Blue Star, and Mohammad Naim Sheikh representing Citizens Bank. Notably, this selection process resulted in national team captains Najmul Hossain and Litton Das, as well as pacer Mustafizur Rahman, being overlooked by the franchises.
Addressing the unconventional selection results during a launch event at a city hotel on Sunday, September 27, BCB official Tamim Iqbal explained that the teams prioritized consistent participation. “I think we need to think about it differently because at the end of the day this is a domestic tournament and players availability is very important,” he stated. He specifically highlighted Naim Sheikh as a prime example, noting that because he is not currently a regular in all formats for the national side, his prospects for playing the full domestic season are significantly higher. However, BCB president Tamim Iqbal insisted it was a tactical move more than anything else. “I feel that you are confused with a lot of picks and can have questions regarding that but I feel they have prioritized those players who are available considering the fact it is a domestic tournament,” he said.
The new Domestic-3 model is set to replace the existing NCL T20, BCL four-day, and BCL one-day competitions. The tournament schedule is packed, with the T20 segment beginning in December at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur and the Barishal Divisional Stadium. This will feature 19 matches, followed by a seven-match four-day series in January and a 16-match 50-over competition scheduled for May next year.
To assemble the full squads, the franchises will participate in a single player auction on October 26. Tamim noted that while the exact format for this selection remains under discussion, the auction would allow teams to build a 23-member core roster that will stay together across all three formats. “If I do auction it will be because every team will have the opportunity to pick players of their own choice,” he added, noting that top-tier stars, including fast bowlers, would be integrated into teams during this phase. Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim and some members of the current national team also failed to attract the franchises, who appeared to prioritise player availability above all else. “We will do a draft or auction on October 26 though I am not sure but one among the two will be in place and our super stars like the fast bowling unit or others will be picked.
The BCB has entered into three-year agreements with the six franchises, though the board maintains significant authority over financial and operational governance. To ensure parity and stability, the board will enforce spending limits and dictate the remuneration structures for both players and coaching staff. These cost-control measures are intended to professionalize the domestic environment while enhancing commercial appeal.
By unifying the T20, one-day, and four-day formats under a single umbrella, the BCB aims to provide domestic cricketers with greater consistency and exposure. The initiative is a core component of the board’s plan to revitalize the local cricketing landscape, bringing renewed energy to the game while addressing previous inconsistencies in tournament scheduling and player participation.
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