Noakhali Express coaches storm out in BPL: Here's why
What's the story
The head coach of Noakhali Express, Khaled Mahmud, left the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in a huff on Thursday. The incident took place during a training session ahead of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season opener. Mahmud was accompanied by assistant coach Talha Jubair and both left after complaining about inadequate training facilities, including a shortage of practice balls, as per a report in ESPNcricinfo.
Coach's remarks
Mahmud expresses dissatisfaction with BPL arrangements
Upon leaving the stadium, Mahmud expressed his dissatisfaction with the BPL arrangements. "I will not work in the BPL under these circumstances. I have never seen this in the BPL before," he said, as per ESPNcricinfo. The incident caused a stir as it was just a day before Noakhali Express's opening match against Chattogram Royals in the tournament.
Persuasion efforts
Staff's attempts to persuade coaches
Despite the team's staff's attempts to convince Mahmud and Jubair to return, the duo stood their ground. They were assured that such a mistake wouldn't happen again but this didn't change their decision. Meanwhile, the players continued with their training session at Sylhet stadium even after the coaches had left. The team includes international stars like Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis and Mohammad Nabi along with local talents Hasan Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar and Jaker Ali.
Clarification
Mahmud later clarifies his outburst
Later, Mahmud clarified that he "may have overreacted" due to lack of facilities during training. He said, "It was a misunderstanding. I think I may have overreacted in the moment. There were not enough facilities in training. I didn't get the equipment I needed." He thanked the owners and said he had spoken to them about this issue.
BCB's response
BCB takes notice of the incident
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has taken note of the incident and is looking into it. Noakhali Express are one of four new franchises in this season's BPL. The team was the last to be added to this season's tournament, which will see six teams competing instead of seven. The incident comes just hours after BCB took over Chattogram Royals from their owners Triangle Services Limited due to lack of sponsor interest.
Twitter Post
Noakhali Express!
Focused minds and strong intent as Noakhali Express train ahead of BPL 2026 💪#BPL #BPL2026 #BCB #Cricket #T20 #Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/jZTWbbZU2P
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) December 25, 2025