The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday announced a sweeping increase in match fees for domestic cricketers, aiming to help players earn up to Tk 35-40 lakh a year from domestic cricket alone.

BCB president Tamim Iqbal unveiled the decision at a press conference, saying the hike amounted to more than 100 percent in some categories.

Under the new structure, first-class match fees will rise to Tk 1.5 lakh from Tk 70,000, List A fees will double to Tk 1 lakh from Tk 50,000, and T20 fees will go up to Tk 80,000 from Tk 40,000.

Women's cricketers will also benefit, with three-day match fees doubling to Tk 40,000, fees for one-dayers rising to Tk 30,000 from Tk 15,000, and T20 fees doubling to Tk 20,000.

Tamim said the proposal had come from the players themselves and was meant as a long-term solution rather than a seasonal fix.

"The proposal came from the players. We are all one — the players, the board and the directors," he said. "I never wanted a solution for just one year. I wanted something that would benefit the players for years."

He said a domestic cricketer could now earn Tk 35-40 lakh, or more than Tk 3 lakh a month, from domestic cricket alone, in addition to any earnings from the Dhaka Premier League or the BPL.

Tamim also revealed that a new domestic tournament is in the pipeline, with about 85 percent of the preparatory work already done, and further details expected by the end of the month.

He said national team players could feature in the tournament's first edition depending on their international commitments.

The BCB chief added that players would be expected to maintain professionalism in return, saying there would be no exceptions for those who fail fitness tests.

He said the board is also reviewing the salary structure for umpires, scorers, physiotherapists and trainers, and plans to upgrade academy facilities, including a new 110-metre athletics track.