The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025 made for a horrid start even before the first ball was bowled. The day before the opening match, Khaled Mahmud, head coach of Noakhali Express, stormed out of a training session at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium after raising the collapse of poor practice arrangements. The whole situation contributed to the already growing concerns regarding management and financial health of the franchises in the league, drawing the attention of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). What Happened at Sylhet Stadium? The Noakhali Express were set to train on Thursday prior to their opening match against Chattogram Royals on Friday, but upon arrival, Khaled Mahmud and assistant coach Talha Jubair found only a handful of practice balls available for use. The reports further mention that the mere provision of three cricket balls for practice threw him into anger, and the next thing anybody knew, the Mahmud and Jubair left in a CNG auto rickshaw straight out of the practice. “I will not work in the BPL under these circumstances. I have never seen this in the BPL before,” Mahmud told reporters on camera as he entered the vehicle. Later on, he declared that he will not work with the Noakhali franchise anymore. Also Read | Top 5 Cricket Controversies That Shook 2025 Coaches Refuse to Return Despite Requests Few members of the team staff attempted to request the coaches to return to the ground. They assured Mahmud that the matter would be rectified and not happen again. But he would not change his decision, neither would Assistant Coach Talha Jubair, showing solidarity with his Head Coach. Meanwhile, the players continued with their training without the coaches. Among the other famous names in the squad are overseas stars Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis, and Mohammad Nabi in the company of Bangladesh players Hasan Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar, and Jaker Ali. Dispute With Franchise Owners Things became worse as Mahmud reportedly had an argument with the franchise owners after the sight of lack of practice balls. He also alleged that one of the owners misbehaved with him during the whole occurrence. Just before his departure from the stadium, he said, "I will not do the BPL. I am leaving." When asked about the future of the team, he replied, "There are many coaches, they will get them." Lack of Basic Practice Planning Raises Questions This incident has raised serious questions over the preparation and professionalism of the newly formed BPL franchises. Reports suggest that a good-quality cricket ball would cost somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 taka, and for a reasonably good practice session, you at least need 15 balls to 20 balls. Noakhali Express, being a new team in the league, came with some 3 balls and that show poor planning and utter lack of experience on part of the management for the affair. Also Read | BCCI Financial Report: Strong Surplus Despite Dream11 Exit & ICC Revenue Dip BCB Takes Charge as Problems Mount The BCB is cognizant of the situation and is investigating. Right after this incident, another major issue was raised when Chattogram Royals' troubles made the BCB intervene after their owners exited from sponsorship interest. With two enormous disasters occurring within 24 hours of the tournament's commencement, senior BCB officials were seen at the stadium later in the day, underscoring the seriousness of the situation. Reports further say that the financial condition of a few franchises within BPL is in bad shape and the BCB is working on contingency plans to be able to manage these teams if need be. Troubling Signs for BPL 2025 At this early chapter, plenty has been cast over the twelfth edition of the BPL. New teams have emerged; monetary difficulties have seized the forefront with managerial confusions embarrassing the league with hard questions regarding governance and standards. While the tournament gets going, all eyes will be tuned to how the BCB manages this challenge to ensure the seamless running of the competition.