No more IPL for Shakib, Fizz?
With a densely packed schedule of international cricket ahead of the Tigers in the upcoming months, the Bangladesh Cricket Board is against allowing the No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, to prevent the duo from skipping the national team's assignments in favor of the remaining part of the postponed Indian Premier League (IPL).
Shakib played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL where he got to play three matches. Mustafizur, on the other hand, played all seven matches for Rajasthan Royals before the tournament was postponed with 31 games remaining. There are talks that the BCCI top officials are willing to shift the tournament to the UAE in September-October.
Bangladesh is scheduled to tour Zimbabwe followed by the home series against England, New Zealand and Australia before the T20 World Cup and according to the BCB president Nazmul Hassan's interview on a local satellite channel on Sunday, he expressed that it is impossible to provide NOC to the two cricketers considering the upcoming fixtures.
"Given our schedule, there is no scope to grant NOC now or later. Besides, the World Cup is approaching fast, which makes every game vital for us," said Hassan.
It appears that the UAE leg of the league may fail to feature several other star foreign players. England has effectively ruled out further participation of their players when the tournament resumes but the BCCI appears unfazed.
"Our main focus is on completing this edition of the IPL. So whichever foreign players are available is fine. Certain players' unavailability is not going to stop us from hosting the tournament," BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told Khaleej Times on Monday.
Other boards would be wary of releasing players and exposing them to possible injuries on the brink of the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November.
"Once we get back together as a group that is something we'll obviously need to discuss," CA chief executive Nick Hockley said on Monday.
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