• Bangladesh Premier League

Hales pulls out of BPL after Big Bash call-up

Alex Hales has withdrawn from the Bangladesh Premier League after gaining an unexpected opportunity in the Big Bash © Getty Images

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Alex Hales, the England and Nottinghamshire opener, will not take part in the controversial Bangladesh Premier League which starts next week even though none of the international players due to appear in the tournament have received contracts.

Hales had been bought at the auction by Duronto Rajshahi and insisted he would join the event despite strong concerns from the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) who remain extremely worried about payment and contract issues.

Hales recently joined Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League as a replacement for the injured Marlon Samuels and enhanced his reputation by smashing 89 off 52 balls just hours after stepping off a place from England.

He is guaranteed at least one more BBL match with the Renegades in a semi-final against Brisbane Heat on Tuesday and, it is understood, that has been enough for him to have a change of heart over the BPL, for which he would only have been available for a short period before reporting for Twenty20 duty with England on the New Zealand tour.

Hales, along with Nottinghamshire team-mates Michael Lumb and Samit Patel, has been barred by his county from putting his name forward for this year's IPL as it clashes with the English county season.

Currently, Luke Wright, who like Hales will not be available for the whole tournament, is still set to take up his BPL deal.

Angus Porter, the chief executive of the PCA, said that none of the promises made by the BPL organisers ahead of the second running of the event have been delivered. "We are five days away from the tournament and there had been a promise that contracts would be delivered well in advance," he said. "This hasn't happened, and now there's no chance it will happen before the event.

"I still fully expect some international players to take part, but they will be heading into another unknown situation with very few assurances. I would really like the BPL to work, Bangladesh cricket needs it to be a success, but history tells us that it looks unlikely at the moment."

The problems do not stop at the international stars, either. ESPNcricinfo understands that some of the Barisal players are refusing to sign No Objection Certificates for their franchises until they are paid last year's fees.

Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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