MM Ispahani official sponsor for 9th NCL

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Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially announced MM Ispahani Ltd. as the sponsor for the 9th National Cricket League(NCL), which is scheduled to begin on October 19 with participation of six divisional teams, reports UNB.
This is for the 7th consecutive time that MM Ispahani Ltd. is sponsoring the country's lone first class cricket tournament. As sponsors they are giving Tk 4.0 million (40 lakh) to BCB, which is Tk 1.0 million higher than the previous year's.
The budget of this year's League has been estimated at Tk. 41.5 million which was Tk 25.6 million in the previous year. BCB will provide rest of the fund.
The cricket league is intended to be made more attractive with higher prize money and facilities to players.
The prize money for champions of the four-day matches has been raised to Tk 1.0 million from Tk 200,000. The runners up will get Tk 500,000 as against Tk 100,000 last year. The 3rd placed team will get Tk 300,000.
The highest run scorer and the highest wicket taker in the four-dayers will receive Tk 20,000 each.
In the one-day version, the champion team will collect Tk 400,000 while the runners up team Tk 200,000. Besides, the highest scorer and the highest wicket taker will receive Tk 20,000 each.
The tournament committee has also increased the prize money for man of the tournament, best all rounder and best fielder.
The man of the tournament will receive Tk 40,000, the best all rounder Tk 30,000 and the best fielder Tk 20,000.
Besides, the Board also made a fresh announcement of Tk 100,000 in the four-day version, where any batsman scoring 1000 runs or any bowler scalping 60 wickets will get the luxurious prize. There will be another Tk 20,000 for scoring a double century in the four-dayers.
BCB's tournament committee chairman Salim Bhuiyan disclosed the details while addressing a press conference in the city Monday.
Media and communications committee Vice Chairman Ishtiaque Ahmed, Ispahani Group Chairman Mirza Ali Behrouze Ispahani, senior Marketing Manager SM Showkat Hussain and tournament committee member secretary Hafizur Rahman Zoarder also spoke on the occasion.
Answering a to a query, Salim Bhuiyan informed that MM Ispahani Ltd was the lone corporate house to submit their sponsorship bids for this season's League. "We also made communications with other corporate houses who had shown interest. But unfortunately no other except Ispahani Ltd. submitted the bids.
Replying to another question, he said that they have communicated with BTV and other satellite channels to telecast the NCL matches live but there was no positive response yet.