Bangladesh-bound Riki Wessels confident of security during BPL

It seems a lifetime ago that security concerns were overshadowing the build-up to England's tour of Bangladesh. So far, the trip has passed off without a hitch and the cricket in both the One Day International (ODI) and Test series has been first rate. The decision to tour was clearly the right thing to do and the success of England's stay will be important for Bangladesh's future: there now seems no reason for other teams to not follow England's lead.

England's decision to tour was made by their management, with security man Reg Dickason having the major say, in conjunction with the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA). During a pre-tour reconnaissance trip, both Dickason and the PCA received assurances from the Bangladeshi authorities that security measures would be robust and the decision to go ahead with the tour was taken.

Three days after the end of the second Test in Mirpur, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) starts, a seven team Twenty20 (T20) tournament in the mould of the IPL and Big Bash. Several English county players will be taking part despite the PCA advising their members against travelling to Bangladesh for the competition due to safety concerns.

If the contradiction in approach seems odd, there is rationale behind it. Security arrangements have been meticulously planned for the England squad's time in Bangladesh and the management were given assurances that no expense would be spared in order to keep them safe. The security arrangements for the BPL on the other hand have not yet been communicated to the PCA.

David Leatherdale, Chief Executive of the PCA, said in early October: "It remains unclear whether a similar level of security [as that of England's tour] will be provided for the Bangladesh Premier League...In those circumstances the PCA is advising its members not to travel to Bangladesh to play in the BPL."

Cricbuzz understands that Leatherdale has written to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to ask for information about the security arrangements but has yet to receive a reply. Those players who decide to travel to Bangladesh anyway have had to sign a disclaimer stating they are travelling at their own risk in order to get a No Objection Certificate from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Nottinghamshire's Riki Wessels is one among several English players - including Ravi Bopara, Tymal Mills and Samit Patel - heading to the BPL. The 30-year-old, who will play for the Khulna Titans, spoke to Cricbuzz before leaving for Bangladesh. Wessels, the son of former Australia and South African Test cricketer Kepler, said: "It's always a risk and a concern wherever you go, probably more so at the moment in these places.

"I've spoken to my family, spoken to my father about it and I've seen the England boys out there who have been alright. I weighed up the options but it's my job at the end of the day. The risks are going to be there no matter where I go. There will be security when I arrive at the airport and getting to the hotel. I can't see there being too many trips outside of the hotel other than what's needed in terms of going to the grounds for matches and training. I'll speak to the Titans about it more in-depth and find out who our security liaison officer is when I get out there."

The BPL is not yet ranked alongside the IPL or Big Bash in terms of prestige and it doesn't attract as many international stars as those other competitions. For non-internationals such as Wessels, the BPL offers them an opportunity to both perform in an international T20 competition and add to their domestic earnings. The PCA's stance is understandable but so too is the decision of Wessels and others to ignore it in order to further their careers.

"It's an international tournament so the standard is really high and there are real quality marquee players," says Wessels. "If it's good enough for Chris Gayle, probably the T20 king at the moment in the world, there's got to be something right with the competition. I'm really looking forward to it.

"They are different conditions that you don't really experience when you play in Australia or England. It's always nice to get those opportunities to play in those conditions when it's uncomfortable, it's hot. The wickets are different because they get a bit tired during a competition with 45 games using just two grounds really."

Despite difficulties in first-class cricket, Wessels had a fine domestic season in both the T20 and 50-over competitions, averaging 42 in the former and 64 in the latter. As an opening batsman, the ability to give a one-day innings an explosive start is paramount and Wessels proved his ability to do just that with a series of sparkling innings which included an innings of 80 from 35 balls against Worcestershire in July.

"I've come off the back of one of the best white ball seasons I've had in professional cricket," he says. "To have the opportunity to go out to Bangladesh is great to keep the skills improving and another reason I made the decision. One-day cricket is a game that is continually evolving. If you see the scores in 50-over cricket especially, it's important to keep improving and getting better at it."

In T20 cricket particularly, Wessels is worth a look by England now that he has finally qualified for them but he is under no illusions as to how tough it will be to force his way in to contention. "It's always in the back of your mind to play international cricket," he says. "Watching England in Bangladesh, there were some good performances from some young players and some players aren't even making that side who have been in the set-up for a while. For me, it's always something that would be nice to happen but I'm not going to set my goals on."

An England call may come one day, but for now Wessels is concentrating on taking opportunities when they arise. He may be ignoring the advice of the PCA in heading to the BPL but his decision is understandable from both a cricketing perspective and a financial one.