NCL 2022: Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided that Dukes balls will be used in the 2022 National Cricket League, the nation’s long-running first-class competition, which is slated to take place from October 10 to November 17. Due in major part to the fact that national cricketers find it challenging to adapt to it when they go on international tours, the decision was made to replace SG balls with Dukes in the event.

During the West Indies tour, Bangladesh fast bowlers bowled with Dukes for the first time. Bangladesh players are not very accustomed with the Dukes ball because it is only used in England and the West Indies; all other Test-playing nations use the Kookaburra, while India prefers the SG.

BCB chief selector Minhajul Abedin told, “We decided to introduce Dukes in the NCL so that our players get familiar with it. The difference between a Dukes and SG ball is huge in terms of seam and shape and so this ball will be introduced to prepare our players properly as we have some assignments with it in the coming days.”

For players who are eager to join the NCL, the pass mark for the Yo-Yo Test is slated to rise to 18.1 from 17.4 this year. During the preseason fitness camp, which ends on September 5, BCB will evaluate the most recent state of fitness of its top players.

A two-week skill camp will be held after the fitness camp, and then the four-day tournament will start. On September 5, a pre-training fitness test for NCL players is scheduled, during which the BCB will evaluate the most recent fitness level of its top athletes.

A three-week camp will be held after the fitness test, and the final fitness test will be held on September 25. After that, a two-week skill camp will be held before to the start of the four-day competition.

The NCL requires all sides to take a new ball every 80 overs, and BCB is working to ensure that the wicket has eight millimetres of grass in it.

The match fees for players have increased in Tiers 1 and 2, with Tier 1 winning team players receiving BDT One Lakh each, Tier 1 runners-up receiving Tk 80, Tier 1 third-place team players receiving Tk 70, and Tier 1 fourth-place team players receiving Tk 60,000.

The Tier 2 champion and runner-up teams will receive Tk 60 and Tk 55 thousand apiece, while the third and fourth teams would each receive Tk 50 thousand.