The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has finalized the salary structure for local and overseas cricketers ahead of the inaugural Women’s Bangladesh Premier League (WBPL).
The player draft for the three-team tournament is scheduled for March 14, with the competition slated to run from April 3 to 15.
Local players will be divided into five categories, headlined by the "Icon" tier. Each franchise will recruit one Icon player, who will receive the highest remuneration of BDT 10 lakh.
National team captain Nigar Sultana is confirmed as an Icon, while vice-captain Nahida Akter and Sobhana Mostary are under consideration for the remaining two spots.
Following the Icons, six cricketers will be placed in Category A, earning BDT 7 lakh each, with franchises picking two players from this tier. Category B will feature 12 players earning BDT 5 lakh each.
Around 20 players will be listed in Category C with a salary of BDT 3 lakh. Any player unsold in Category C will be moved to Category D, which carries a base price of BDT 1.5 lakh. National selector Sajjad Ahmed stated the final categorized list will be confirmed in the coming days.
Franchises will have the option to sign foreign players directly before the draft or pick them from the draft pool based on player interest. Overseas recruits will be categorized into three salary tiers: Category A ($8,000), Category B ($6,000), and Category C ($3,000).
Teams are mandated to include at least four foreign players in their squad and must field exactly two overseas cricketers in the playing XI for every match.
The BCB has set the franchise ownership fee at BDT 30 lakh for the three-team event. Nabil Group, the owners of the reigning men's BPL champions Rajshahi Warriors, has already formally expressed interest in acquiring a team.
Matches are expected to be hosted at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur and the Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram.
