GrameenPhone Corp. Cricket League 2005-06

League History

The Corporate Cricket League (CCL) started in April of 2004 with 12 corporate cricket sides vying for the inaugural title. Sponsored by mobile giants Grameen Phone, the league featured the following (13) sides: GrameenPhone, Bashundhara Group, Bangladesh Biman, AKTEL, CitiCell, Gazi Tank, M M Ispahani, Beximco Group, BADC, ACME Laboratories, Araf Apparels, Partex Group, and the BCB Development Squad.

The primary aim of the league was to give employement opportunities to both the national and league cricketers. The secondary aim was to give more exposure to the cricketers as well having a backup for the more prestigious (and more competitive) Dhaka Premier League. BCB's chief executive Macky Dudhia at the time claimed that the competition opened a new domestic frontier and added, "We have introduced another competition in the calendar which will ultimately benefit the players. It is an addition that will secure their lives."

The first year format allowed the top three teams from each group to qualify for the Cup Group and the bottom three teams for the Plate Group. The BCB Development team only played in the first phase of the league. A total of twenty players were allowed to be registered by each team in the first CCL. The teams were allowed to hire/amploy players from both the Dhaka Premier League and the First Division League. The teams were also allowed to hire two foreign players per team.

Araf Apparels won the league title by upsettng favorites Bashundhara Group by 5 wickets. Gazi Tank won the Plate title by defeating MM Ispahani by 4 wickets.

The second corporate league took place in October '04 was played under the twenty/20 format. This was the first official twenty/20 match in Bangladesh.