Can perennial underachievers Sylhet deliver?

Sylhet Division

Where they finished last season

Fifth place.

Big Picture

Perennial underachievers, Sylhet Division will be one of the teams gearing up to avoid being in the second tier in the 2015-16 season. Having scraped the bottom of most NCL points table over the last decade, Sylhet they wouldn't want a repeat.

Their senior players, like Alok Kapali, Rajin Saleh, Enamul Haque jr, Imtiaz Hossain and Nabil Samad, will once again form the core of the side, alongside youngsters like Rumman Ahmed and Sadiqur Rahman. Last season the team's best batsman was Rajin's younger brother Sayem Alam, who made 475 runs at 39.58 with a century. They would need him and the senior players to perform better for them to have a shot at finishing in the top four.

Key players

Rajin Saleh is one of the few players these days who played in the inaugural NCL in the 1999-2000 season. He remains one of the key players for Sylhet, and has done well for Partex Sporting Club in the Dhaka Premier League, though he couldn't save the club from relegation.

Team changes

Nasum Ahmed is a left-arm spinner who has gone to Barisal Division while Shaker Ahmed, another left-arm spinner, has not played in the Dhaka leagues this season and is said to be on an hiatus from cricket.

Below the radar

Left-hand batsman Sayem Alam is tight in defense, and has the ability to put the ball through the off-side with some style. He didn't do too well for Mohammedan this season, but remains a talent to look out for in first-class cricket.

What they say
"We will definitely try to stay in the first tier. We have some good young players, many of whom have played well in the Dhaka Premier League this season." - Nabil Samad

Chittagong Division

Where they finished last season

Sixth place.

Big Picture

The only time Chittagong Division won the NCL title was in its inaugural year, in 1999. Since then the team has often turned out modest seasons, sometimes threatening for the trophy but hardly producing the young cricketers they once did. For the second-largest city in the country, this is a huge disappointment.

None of Chittagong's batsmen made 400 runs last season, an indictment of the overall performance of their batsmen. Mahbubul Karim, Nafees Iqbal, Faisal Hossain and Irfan Shukkur made 300-plus but it didn't help their cause much. Their highest wicket-taker from last season, Mohammad Younus, has not been picked either.

Left-arm spinners Saju Dutta and Naeem Islam jr will be asked to bear the workload alongside legspinner Noor Hossain Munna.

Key players

Nafees Iqbal is one of the senior-most cricketers in the Chittagong team, alongside Nazimuddin and Faisal Hossain. The trio has often had to hold it together, and will particularly be required to do so this year when they seem to be devoid of much experience in the squad.

Team changes

Chittagong have roped in Sarwar Imran, arguably Bangladesh's most successful domestic coach. The entry of allrounder Alauddin Babu and left-arm spinner Naeem Islam jr, and the re-entry of legspinner Noor Hossain Munna, will help Chittagong have a stronger line-up.

Below the radar

Irfan Shukkur emerged as an unlikely match-winner for Kalabagan Cricket Academy in this season's Dhaka Premier League, particularly with his cameo against Abahani. He would be expected to contribute more to Chittagong's effort this season, and is recognised as one of the brightest young talents in the team.

What they say
"It is important to keep the process going, and not look too far ahead. I think we have a balanced team this year, and we hope to do better than last season." - Nafees Iqbal

Dhaka Metropolis

Where they finished last season

Seventh place.

Big Picture

When someone like Elias Sunny finishes with just eleven wickets in six matches, you know that Dhaka Metropolis will struggle to bowl teams out. Asif Ahmed was the highest scorer and wicket-taker for the Dhaka Metro side, and that tells you a lot about that bowling attack.

Their batting looks stronger this year with the inclusion of the in-form Mehedi Maruf as well as the likes of Saikat Ali, Marshall Ayub, Mehrab Hossain jr and Shamsur Rahman. In fact it would be the discarded Bangladesh opener Shamsur who could be the difference as he is likely to be available for most of the season.

Left-arm quick Abu Haider Rony is said to be a good pick, though he is still an unproven talent at the first-class level, while Sadman Islam is a young batsman who has impressed many people with his temperament.

Key players

Marshall Ayub and Mehrab Hossain jr remain their most experienced batsmen and, off late, the most successful too. Asif Ahmed will also be asked to score heavily, like he did last year, while in the bowling department, Mohammad Shahid and Elias Sunny will have to bowl a lot better than their performance in the last NCL.

Team changes

They will miss the services of Mahmudullah and Arafat Sunny, with the latter being more missed due to his regular contribution in the NCL.

Below the radar

Left-arm spinner Asif Hasan was the second-highest wicket-taker in the Dhaka Premier League this season, and is likely to make his first-class debut on the opening day.

What they say
"I would like to be one of the top batsmen in the competition, but more importantly we would like to do well as a team." - Marshall Ayub

Barisal Division

Eighth place.

Big Picture

Having finished in last place in last season's NCL, they remain one of the likeliest teams to be in the second tier next season. Having only a couple of Bangladesh players doesn't quite help their cause.

Shahriar Nafees and Sohag Gazi apart, the likes of Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Fazle Rabbi and Salman Hossain will be expected to punch above their weight once again. The addition of Nasum Ahmed may give them some cover in the spin department in the absence of Monir Hossain, the highest wicket-taker in last season's NCL.

Barisal would also have to become a more professional team off the field if they are to win more matches this season. If there was one team who needed a two-tier system to be motivated, it is Barisal.

Key players

Shahriar Nafees and Sohag Gazi are Barisal's flag bearers. Though Gazi has the official bowling-action test result hanging over his head, he would be expected to play regularly at the start of the season. Nafees is the senior-most player in the side and remains the key avenue to Barisal getting good starts.

Team changes

Monir Hossain's knee injury has kept him out this season, while Iftekhar Ahmed, Nafees' younger brother, has gone to the USA for higher studies.

Below the radar

Nuruzzaman was the team's second-highest scorer last season and is rated highly by Nafees. He will be expected to play a more central role in their batting line-up.

What they say

"Our performance wasn't up to the mark last year but we hope to improve this season and make the top four." - Shahriar Nafees