Kings to release their players four days before the first Nepal tie

Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings have decided to release their national players on November 9, just four days before the first of two international friendlies against Nepal, instead of allowing the players to join the national camp which is scheduled to get underway on Friday.

Of 36-member preliminary squad, there are 14 players from Bashundhara Kings, who today informed Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) about the club's stand in releasing their players for the preparation camp ahead of November 13 and 17 friendlies in Dhaka.

Bashundhara have decided to not release fit-again Masuk Mia Jonny and Matin Mia citing that both of them have been in rehabilitation following injuries.

"FIFA has released the amended "men's international match calendar for 2020-2024" and "regulations on the status and transfer of players." Based on the calendar and regulations, Bashundhara Kings will release their players from 09 November 2020 to 17 November 2020," read out the letter signed by Bayazid Alam Zobayer Nipu, head of strategy and planning of Bashundhara Kings.

"This is because Bashundhara Kings players are in full practice from September 1 and they are fully fit to join the Bangladesh national team on November 9. They will be very much capable of joining other players and perform in full fitness from November 09 to 17 November," stated the letter adding that Zonny and Matin would not be joining the national team as they have been recuperating from long-term injuries and are now in rehabilitation.       

It is not the first time that Bashundhara Kings disagreed with the local game's governing body in regards to releasing their players early for the national camp. Previously, Bashundhara Kings released their players late ahead of last December's South Asian Games in Nepal.

Bashundhara Kings stuck to the FIFA regulations when the BFF started the preparation in August for the World Cup and Asian Cup Qualifiers, which were ultimately postponed by FIFA/AFC on August 12.

In that period, Bashundhara Kings allowed 11 out of 14 players to join the national camp from August 5 to 31 and requested the BFF to release their players from the national camp for Bashundhara Kings' AFC Cup preparation upto Oct 4 while Bangladesh's World Cup Qualifiers against Afghanistan was scheduled to take place on Oct 7 in Sylhet. 

Meanwhile, the BFF could not confirm accommodation at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel today and the players are likely to be accommodated at Fars Hotel in Paltan, some one kilometer away from Bangabandhu National Stadium, the venue of two international friendlies.