Dhaka Gladiators all-rounder Sakib al Hasan trains with his team-mates at the BCB cricket academy ground on Monday. — New Age photo

Former Bangladesh skipper Sakib al Hasan admitted that he was among the local players who became victims of not getting fully paid from their Bangladesh Premier League franchises and had asked for a better paper work from the organisers this term.
Sakib led Khulna Royal Bengals in the inaugural edition of BPL as an icon player and he was due to receive $110,000.
‘All the players were victims of non-payment,’ Sakib told reporters after participating in the first practice session with his new franchise Dhaka Gladiators on Monday. 
‘Naturally we felt bad about the incident as we try to give hundred percent regardless of which team we are playing for. I don’t know how far we can recover our last BPL payment as the new edition is knocking on the door,’ said Sakib.
He also said that it hurts the cricketers when they don’t get what they deserve and there should be a strict rule that will assure them of the payment.
‘It should never affect but I feel that it hurts, which is a normal thing to happen. There is nothing much to say on this as we (players) all have suffered.
‘There should be a proper paper work regarding the rules of payment that can assure we receive our payments on time,’ he said.
The defending champions Dhaka Gladiators completed their first practice session for the upcoming edition at the Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy field but it was only the local cricketers who attended the practice as their foreign recruits are yet to join the side.
 ‘We are still to have the full squad and it was only the locals who practised today. It was more like a get-together and a little warm-up,’ said Sakib.
‘Hopefully the practice will be more serious from tomorrow as we all will be checking in the team hotel tonight (Monday) and we have the foreign cricketers and head coach joining us tomorrow (today).’
Moreover, Sakib thinks that only two to three days’ practice won’t affect much as all the players were involved in playing matches.
‘I don’t think lack of practice would be a problem as everyone was playing matches except me. I have been practising personally for a few days now, so I feel it shouldn’t be much of a problem.’
A shin-bone stress during the West Indies Test series at home last December saw the country’s leading all-rounder miss the one-day series and the Twenty20 match and Sakib said he is yet to recover fully from the injury.
‘To be true, I think I am not fit yet but, however, hopefully I will recover within the first two matches. We probably have one practice match against Rangpur Riders on the 16th. It will help me a lot if the match takes place,’ he said.
Dhaka Gladiators roped in Sakib for $3,65,000, the highest paid player of the second edition, and with a better team combination this time they are only expected to retain their title.  
‘Because Dhaka Gladiators are the defending champions everyone will expect us to retain the title.
‘I find the team combination to be very good but we will need to perform on the field and if we can perform to our ability, I think the team will surely get good results,’ he said.