Tamim, Shakib unlikely in IPL

The confirmation of the dates of Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe is likely to rule out all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's and opener Tamim Iqbal's participation in the sixth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which begins on April 3.
Bangladesh will leave for Zimbabwe on April 8 for a month-long tour that will extend from April 13 to May 11. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials said that the players will not be allowed to participate in the cash-rich T20 tournament during or before the Tigers' international tour.
“We obviously will not give them the permission

to play in the IPL in the midst of an international series. We will not give them the NOCs (No Objection Certificates) to play before the Zimbabwe series either,” said Enayet Hossain Siraj, chairman of cricket operations, BCB.
A window for the players, however, will open up after the end of the tour as the group stages of the IPL will continue till May 19. Whether the players will be allowed to participate in the league after the series in Zimbabwe is an issue that will be raised in a meeting at the board today.
Both Shakib and Tamim were retained by Kolkata Knight Riders and the Pune Warriors this season. While Tamim did not get a chance to play in last year's IPL, Shakib was an important part of Kolkata's spin attack last year which guided the team to the championship.