"If the cheque bounces like this wicket, we're in trouble" - Taskin Ahmed after BCB decides to take action against Durbar Rajshahi over unpaid dues

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided to take legal action against Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise Durbar Rajshahi over the unpaid dues they owe to their players as well as hotels regarding bookings.

As a result of their unpaid salaries, the foreigners in the team did not take to the field in Rajshahi's match against the Rangpur Riders in Mirpur on Sunday, January 26. However, they surprisingly won the match by a mere two runs.

The franchise, it appears, have not paid any of their players for a long time and has also defaulted in paying hotels. The BCB media committee chairman Iftekhar Rahman told the Daily Star (via ESPNCricinfo) that they are preparing legal action.

"We have to take legal action by any means now. The money has to be paid. Otherwise, BPL's reputation will be ruined. The violation of contractual obligations like cheque dishonour and other issues will be addressed and we will file cases for all matters, as per the merit of the breaches. The board has given them enough chances. But they have crossed all limits. They were given a contract. There are breaches of contract clauses. Until today, we didn't take any action but now, we will take all the legal actions against them," said Rahman.

Skipper Taskin Ahmed, who led the side to a surprising victory in the absence of all the overseas players, mentioned that the franchise had paid some money to the players by the end of the day.

"It was certainly a new experience. I heard that there was a problem with our hotel booking. There was probably a mix-up between the Sheraton and the Westin. We changed hotels [on Sunday morning] and then two hours before heading to the stadium, we heard that the foreign players won't go [to the match]. We got a call from the board, telling us that at least you [local] guys play. They called the foreign players, telling them that the payment will be cleared. Still [they] didn't come," said Taskin.

"When I asked [the overseas players], they said they won't play without money. I just said it's their call. What can I say, I am also a player. We really felt bad playing without the foreign players. We requested the board to play with local players. They allowed it, and then winning the game gave us some respite. We were given the cheque today. We will place it today. One can hope [it goes through]. If the cheque bounces like this wicket, we are in trouble," he made a cheeky remark.

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"BPL is quite popular this season, but our team is having problems" - Taskin Ahmed

Taskin, when asked about how it had been playing in the BPL during the post-match press conference, mentioned that he expects to play the tournament in a peaceful environment.

Rajshahi have had an ordinary season this time around, and are ranked in the fourth position of the league table with 10 points to their name. While they are certainly in the race for a playoff berth, they need to sort their off-field issues first.

"Everyone expects to play the BPL in a peaceful environment, so when these things happen, we get disappointed. BPL is quite popular this season, but our team is having problems. I tried to boost up the team by telling them that this is our stage to perform, regardless of what's happening elsewhere. The feeling is certainly not nice, but we are trying our best," said Taskin.

Taskin Ahmed has had a great season and is currently the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 24 scalps. His closest competitor is Khushdil Shah of the Rangpur Riders, who has 17 wickets under his belt.