When will Shakib and Fizz return?

With many foreign players having already left India following IPL's suspension yesterday, the question among Bangladesh cricket fans right now is when will Bangladesh's two stars in Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan return?

Eight of the English players have already returned to London on Wednesday and it has been learned that Shakib and Fizz are set for a return tomorrow or day after tomorrow.

"We're hopeful that Shakib and Mustafizur will be back in the country tomorrow or day after tomorrow," BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury told The Daily Star today.

A close family source of one of the players revealed that the Bangladesh duo may be able to board a flight tomorrow. Mustafizur is currently in Delhi and he is in good shape mentally and physically, although the player still was not certain about departure at the moment. He however, according to family sources, was hopeful that an arrangement maybe made for him to leave for Bangladesh tomorrow.

Both Fizz and Shakib will likely return to the country by the same flight, with their respective franchises in Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders expected to share the costs of charter flights to send the players home. While international flight resumed on May 1 in Bangladesh, no passengers are yet allowed from India due to the Covid-19 escalation in the neighbouring country. However, a special charter flight maybe arranged for Shakib and Fizz after getting special approval from competent authority.

"Hours after the lucrative cricket league was suspended on Tuesday because of India's COVID-19 crisis, the English members of the Delhi Capitals squad rushed to Delhi from Ahmedabad to catch a flight to Heathrow," Reuters had reported earlier today.

Some players like Eoin Morgan, Shakib's teammate at KKR are expected to leave India within the next 48 hours. Arrangements to airlift Australia players to Maldives or Sri Lanka are also being made as per media reports.

While Directorate General of Health Services had yesterday confirmed that both players will have to complete mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine, it is possible that the decision on the number of days in institutional quarantine for the two players will be made after they return home.