Brothers Union forfeit DPL match over unpaid dues & face relegation

Brothers Union conceded a walkover against Agrani Bank in their Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League fixture at BKSP on June 5 due to unpaid player dues. The match, part of Bangladesh's premier List A competition, never got underway after Brothers Union players refused to take the field despite arriving at the venue. As a result, match officials awarded the points to Agrani Bank.

Payment-related disputes have troubled Brothers Union for several seasons. Players have repeatedly raised concerns with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) regarding delayed and outstanding payments. While partial payments have occasionally been made, a long-term solution has yet to be found.

The situation reached a breaking point when Brothers Union captain Zahiduzzaman failed to appear for the toss, despite match referee Enayet Chowdhury being present in the middle. With the team refusing to take the field, umpires Moniruzzaman and Shaheen Shareef were forced to declare a walkover in favour of Agrani Bank.

Former Bangladesh international Sohag Gazi, who is currently part of the Brothers Union squad, said the boycott was the players' final option after repeated attempts to resolve the payment issue with club officials failed. According to Gazi, the players had exhausted all avenues in their efforts to secure their pending payments and believed a boycott was necessary to make their concerns heard.

"It is purely a payment issue. There is nothing else. We were forced into this at the last moment. We gave them time, spoke with them and went wherever we needed to go. Having exhausted all options, all the players collectively made this decision. They paid the first 20 percent before the opening match and fulfilled that commitment. But the next 30 percent was supposed to be paid before Eid. Eid passed, then the days after Eid passed, and we still did not receive a single taka," said Sohag as quoted by Cricbuzz.

"We have families too. We have to survive and support them. Many players could not pay their house rent. Some could not buy groceries. Even if the club paid what was agreed in the contracts, players could at least manage rent and support their families," he added.

Gazi also alleged that ahead of Eid, players were made to wait for hours with the expectation of receiving their outstanding payments. However, according to him, many were eventually handed only small amounts ranging between Tk 6,000 and Tk 35,000, far below what they were owed.

The players also approached the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) for assistance in resolving the matter. However, Sohag claimed that despite their efforts to seek support, the payment issue remained unresolved.

"Players first went to the club and later waited outside an official's house for nearly three hours. You cannot celebrate Eid with that. Around 25 to 30 families could not enjoy Eid properly. Everyone knew players were accepting lower amounts this year. Nobody was forced. We agreed because the club also committed to paying us. But after the first installment there were only delays after delays," said Sohag.

"The message we got was: play if you want, don't play if you don't. If the team goes down, that's not a problem. If that's the attitude, then there is not much left to discuss," he added.

According to Clause 16.15.2 of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL) by-laws, any team that concedes a walkover in a match will automatically be deemed one of the relegated sides from the competition. In addition, the team is required to return the financial grant received from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and pay a fine of BDT 20,000 (approximately USD 162).

The consequences do not end there. As stipulated in the tournament regulations, all runs scored and wickets taken by players of the team throughout the competition will be removed from the official statistics.