Brothers Union conceded a walkover in their Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL) match against Agrani Bank in Savar after players protested against unpaid dues from the club.
The unusual result was confirmed when Brothers Union captain Zahiduzzaman did not appear for the toss. Match referee Enayet Chowdhury and umpires Moniruzzaman and Shafeen Shareef subsequently declared the match a walkover in favour of Agrani Bank.
Off-spinner Sohag Gazi said the players decided not to play because they had not received payments owed to them despite making repeated requests to club officials.
"We didn't get our due amounts despite repeated requests," Gazi said. He added that tensions increased before the match when players tried to discuss the issue with management but were allegedly treated disrespectfully.
According to Gazi, the players received only 20% of their agreed payments at the start of the league. They were expecting another 30% before Eid at the end of May, but that payment did not arrive.
"We kept requesting since all of us needed the money to sacrifice an animal, which is our religious obligation during this Eid," Gazi said. "We are really struggling financially."
Gazi also claimed that players attempted to compromise with club officials in order to receive at least part of the outstanding payments. However, those efforts did not lead to a resolution.
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He said the players waited several hours for a meeting with a club official before being offered amounts ranging from BDT 6,000 to BDT 35,000. The players rejected the payments, saying they were insufficient compared to what they were owed.
The decision to forfeit the match could have serious consequences for Brothers Union. Under Clause 16.15.2 of the DPL bylaws, a team that concedes a walkover is considered one of the relegated teams in the competition.
The rules also require the club to return the financial grant received from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and pay a fine of BDT 20,000. In addition, all runs scored and wickets taken by the team's players during the tournament could be removed from the official statistics.
The payment issue is not new for Brothers Union players. According to Gazi, players have raised concerns about delayed payments with the BCB over several seasons. While temporary payments have been made on some occasions, a long-term solution has not been reached.
The latest dispute has again brought attention to player payment concerns in Bangladesh's domestic cricket structure. The club's status in the league and the handling of outstanding dues are expected to remain under focus in the coming days.