Alex Marshall touched down in Dhaka on Monday, went straight into meetings with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) directors on Tuesday and, almost immediately, set out the priority: make the Bangladesh Premier League look and feel less vulnerable to corruption.
“The biggest threat to any franchise league around the world is when it appears vulnerable,” Marshall said. “That’s why we need to ensure the BPL does not give off that impression. The way the tournament is run, how finances are managed, and how team ownership is structured – all of these must be handled at a high, professional standard and properly safeguarded.”
Marshall, formerly the ICC’s anti-corruption chief, has signed a one-year deal as consultant to the BCB’s integrity set-up. His timing is awkward but necessary. An independent three-member committee, established after rumours swirled through last season’s BPL, is understood to have unearthed several spot-fixing incidents spread across the past five editions. Its initial findings are due later this month, eight months after the final was played in February.
According to board insiders, at least two franchises – Durbar Rajshahi and Chittagong Kings – still owe money to players and the BCB. A statement last week outlined the size of Chittagong’s arrears, a reminder that poor financial housekeeping often travels hand-in-hand with integrity problems.
Marshall is blunt about that link. “The reality is, if a franchise league isn’t seen as professional and well-protected, it eventually becomes a target for corruptors. We’ve seen this happen in many countries, and the BPL has also faced issues in the past. That’s why it’s essential for a new integrity unit to provide the protection the league needs.”
His remit stretches beyond the flagship T20 event. The anti-corruption department is still probing a disputed stumping in the Dhaka Premier League, the nation’s main List-A competition. Small incidents, Marshall argues, can reveal wider weaknesses. If officials, players and support staff aren’t certain where the ethical lines sit, risk multiplies.
For now, the former British police officer is drawing up a plan – job descriptions, reporting lines, basic education packages, even a rethink of how franchises are vetted. “I am working with the board and the president to design an integrity unit that gives the right level of protection that is deserved within Bangladesh,” he explained. “I will complete that design over the next three or four weeks, and I will then present that back to the board for their sign-off.”
That timetable is tight, although the BCB hierarchy, led by president Aminul Islam, appears willing to move quickly. Directors, privately, admit the league cannot afford another season dogged by whispers. The commercial stakes are too high; television partners are already nervous.
On the playing side, most senior cricketers support tougher monitoring. One national player, speaking on background, pointed out that repeated investigations “drag the whole dressing-room down” and distract from performance. Coaches, too, want clarity: clear rules, swift punishments, money arriving on time.
Marshall’s approach is pragmatic rather than punitive. Education sessions are likely to come first – reminders about reporting approaches, how to spot unusual betting patterns, the danger of late salary payments. Once the new structure is signed off, enforcement will follow. The key, he insists, is making the league appear – and genuinely be – a difficult target.
Fixers, historically, look for the soft option. If Marshall gets his way, the BPL will no longer be it.
