Dhaka Premier League (DPL) season 2012-13 kicked off Tuesday with three matches taking place at different venues.Like the previous one, this year the domestic competition has been sponsored by Walton and the tournament has been titled as ‘Walton Refrigerator Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 13’.Victoria Sporting Club took on newly-promoted side Kalabagan Cricket Academy at the BKSP while Gazi Tank Cricketers locked horns with Khelaghor Samaj Kallyan Samity at Bogra’s Shaheed Chandu Stadium. In the third match of the opening day, Brothers Union took on Prime Bank Cricket Club at Shaheed Kamaruzzaman Stadium.However, the new transfer system have ensured a semblance of balance between the teams as Kalabagan Krira Chakra netted star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is nursing his finger injury and is likely to play the league only after September 18.Most of the sides in the opening day will have trouble with making three foreigners play as Pakistani cricketers being barred from the league this year.To fill the gap, most of the clubs snapped up whoever they could at the last minute – mostly players from Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.Many Sri Lankan’s have already arrived for the league but the Zimbabweans - mostly national team players - are expected fly to Dhaka after the completion of their ongoing home series against Pakistan and join the clubs from the second round of the tournament.According to the payment plan, players were supposed to be paid 40% of their remuneration before the start of the tournament. However, more than half off the twelve teams have yet to pay their cricketers. Gazi Tank surprisingly paid its players 50%, while Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi and Mohammedan Sporting Club have paid the first instalment.
