DHAKA — The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is planning to revive a controversial Twenty20 league which was shut down two years ago following a match-fixing scandal. Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful was slapped with an eight-year ban in the wake of the scandal that led to the postponement of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after its second edition in early 2013. The troubled tournament faced further scrutiny from the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) last year, the organization advising players to avoid future editions over claims of unpaid salaries. “We are looking at a window in December to hold the third edition of the BPL if everything goes to plan and the international schedule is sorted out,” Ismail Haider Mallick, the BPL's governing council member-secretary, was quoted as saying by www.espncricinfo.com. Though modeled on the Indian Premier League, the new-look league would be a much more modest tournament, he said. “The financial structure of the next tournament will have big changes, so that we can hold the tournament every year. We are trying to keep it reasonable and realistic.” Mallick added that 90 percent of player payments had been made and the BCB would welcome new franchises after all seven teams defaulted, leading to their termination. Jaques to coach Queensland Former Australia batsman Phil Jaques was appointed coach of the Queensland Bulls state cricket team Wednesday. Queensland Cricket said the 36-year-old Jaques will coach both the Sheffield Shield first-class team and the one-day squad. New Zealander Daniel Vettori will coach the Brisbane Heat in the Twenty20 Big Bash League. Jaques, formerly a coaching consultant with Yorkshire and Surrey in English county cricket, spent the past year as senior assistant coach with New South Wales and the Sydney Thunder T20 side. He replaces Stuart Law, who left the Queensland coaching job in January. — Agencies
