Uncertainty looms over Steve Smith's BPL participation

Banned Australian cricketer Steve Smith's participation in the upcoming sixth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is in doubt after a meeting between BPL's technical committee chairman and the franchise representatives ended in a deadlock.

Smith was signed by Comilla Victorians as a replacement for Sri Lanka's Asela Gunaratne but according to the BPL rules, replacement players are supposed to be chosen from among the players who were in the draft in the first place and Smith was not a part of the draft.

The BPL franchises objected to this tweaking of the rule in the meeting following which BPL's technical committee chairman Jalal Yunus said that the final decision in the matter would be taken by the Bangladesh cricket board (BCB).

Speaking about the issue, Yunus said that Smith was allowed to participate in the tournament keeping in view the "greatest interest of BPL." "We had allowed Comilla to sign Steven Smith for the greater interest of the BPL," ESPNcricinfo quoted Jalal, as saying.

"The bylaws said that a replacement player has to come from the [players who were in the] draft and after we allowed Comilla, the other franchises objected. Which is why we held the meeting today but, since we couldn't come to a conclusion, I have now referred it to the BCB," Jalal added. There is no clarity on when the BCB will come out with its decision in the matter.