Riyad, Fizz and Sabbir leave for PSL

Mahmudullah Riyad, Mustafizur Rahman and Sabbir Rahman left for Dubai yesterday night to participate in the Pakistan Super League.

All-rounder Mahmudullah was retained by the Quetta Gladiators, who have built their side around Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed, while the Tigers' fast bowling sensation Mustafizur will feature for Lahore Qalanders. Sabbir was drafted by Peshawar Zalmi and will feature alongside Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, both of whom were retained by the PSL outfit. However, Shakib will miss the first phase of the tournament as he is still recovering from a finger injury. Tamim, meanwhile, is still awaiting his visa.

Sabbir's departure is an interesting one as it means that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) issued a no-objection-certificate for him even though he has been banned from domestic cricket for six months because he assaulted a young spectator during a NCL match late last year.

The third edition of the PSL is set to begin on February 22 with Mahmudullah's Gladiators set to take on Karachi Kings on the opening day.