Fortune Barishal has started preparing the team ahead of the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). They have retained Mahmudullah Riyad and three local cricketers. They decided to keep Mahmudullah Riyad on the team along with three other local cricketers. In addition, Pakistan fast bowler Abbas Afridi and Ireland batter Paul Stirling have been added to the team through direct contracts.

Barishal has retained three domestic cricketers in total - Riyad, Anamul Haque Bijoy, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Earlier, the side announced former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal’s inclusion.

Moreover, Barishal has added two new faces to the team. Abbas Afridi and Paul Stirling. Abbas has the reputation of taking a hat-trick in the last edition of Global T20 League Canada and Pakistan Super League (PSL). Overall, the 22-year-old pacer has experience of playing 22 T20 matches in his career.

On the other hand, Ireland captain and star opener Stirling is a well-known face in the T20 franchise leagues. He has played in many franchise leagues in his career. The 33-year-old Stirling has the experience of 338 T20 matches in his career. He’s also the second most capped player (131 matches) in the international T20 cricket, just behind Rohit Sharma (148 matches).

However, another Pakistan star, Iftikhar Ahmed, who played in Barishal last season, has signed his name in the new team. Leaving Barishal, Iftikhar will play for Comilla Victorians in the next season.

Apart from this, Rangpur Riders have also started organizing the team. Rangpur has taken several famous stars including Shakib Al Hasan in the team. Babar Azam, Wanindu Hasaranga, Nicholas Pooran will also play in the jersey of Rangpur. Apart from this, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, and Hasan Mahmud are also among the local players.

The next edition of BPL will be played at the beginning of January 2024 after the national elections. The final will be held in mid-February. The final schedule has not been released yet.