Conditional return for Shakib?
Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is expected to get the green signal to return from his six-month suspension-- imposed by the board on disciplinary grounds in July this year -- ahead of schedule in a board meeting at Mirpur today afternoon.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon told The Daily Star that he would put forward a proposal to the board that would let the left-hander return on a conditional basis.
“As per the current terms of the suspension, the only set of competitive matches that he can play is the World Cup next year. How can one select a player for such a big competition all of a sudden? That's why I will propose that we let Shakib play the Zimbabwe series in October,” said Papon.
If the proposal is passed the left-hander will return barely three months into his suspension. It is still not clear as to whether Shakib will be able to participate in the Dhaka Premier League which begins a few weeks before the Zimbabwe series. According to Papon, there could be a 'debate' on this issue in the meeting.
While the president was not clear as to what the focal point of the debate would be, many reckon that it may have to do with issues related to the clubs who will be participating in the DPL.
The decision to let Shakib play however, would not completely eliminate the left-hander's suspension sentence but withdraw it for the time being.
“The proposal is basically to withdraw his suspension sentence on a conditional basis. For instance, if we allow him to play this October we will keep an eye on him. If we see that he is involved in yet another problem in the future we will add the remaining time from this suspension to his future punishment,” explained Papon.
However, no change is expected to come in the board's decision on Shakib's receipt of no objection certificates, which basically means that the decision to not let him play in foreign leagues till December 31, 2015 may stand.
A discussion with regards to Mushfiqur Rahim's captaincy and the team's performance may also arise in today's board meeting. Board insiders are thinking of following a split captaincy formula, with Mashrafe Bin Mortaza a possible frontrunner to be Mushfiqur's successor in ODIs.
The board is also disappointed with the way the Tigers have performed in the West Indies.
“It's not as though we expected them to do something great in the West Indies. However, we did not expect them to perform in this manner, to say the least. There were questions regarding the game plan and team selection. There were some decisions which we did not understand,” said Papon.
“I understand that the team is going through a bad patch but really, how long can this bad patch run? It's surprising,” he added in despair.
In a bid to get to the root of the cause of the current downfall, the board will also propose to form a technical committee that will have the authority to question the players after every series.
Apart from the cricketing issues on the field, the board is also expected to announce the dates for the election of BCB's vice-president today. The move comes almost 10 months after the board's executive committee was formed.
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