No Shakib, Tamim in Super League
On a good day, the lofted shot Shakib Al Hasan played as he looked to go over mid-off would easily have cleared the fielder. But he tried to force the issue on the first delivery of the over and his innings ended rather tamely as he found the fielder following a return from a three-match suspension in Mohammedan's match against Gazi Group.
That summed up Shakib's form this season in the Dhaka Premier Division T20 Cricket League as he tried, often strenuously, to find his form with the bat. The ace all-rounder's tournament came to an end as he will not feature in the Super League phase, having been granted permission by Mohammedan to not play any further part for the remainder of the league.
"He has been granted leave on humanitarian grounds and will not play the Super League phase," Mohammedan cricket committee chairman Masud Uz Zaman informed The Daily Star.
The long sequence of bio-bubbles has not been easy, along with the separation from newly-born child and family. Shakib is expected to leave the country in the wee hours of Friday morning for USA and, according to BCB sources, will likely join the national team in Zimbabwe on the 29th.
The first phase of the Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division T20 Cricket League also would come to an end with this game, with the top six to play the Super League.
On a drizzly day at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Prime Bank Cricket Club played out a 10-over-a-side affair against Khelaghar SKS, who managed just 68. Prime Bank overtook the target in 9.1 overs with Rony Talukdar's 18-ball 39 to top the table with 18 points.
Prime Bank's Tamim Iqbal too will not play any further part in the tournament due to leg pain and would like to be fit ahead of the Zimbabwe assignment.
"I felt severe pain in my leg in the last few games. I need to be in far better shape to be fit to play international games," Tamim said.
Jaker Ali's 52 and Sabbir Rahman's 35 took Legends of Rupganj to 162 for five, but Mohammad Naim's unbeaten 19-ball 39 helped Abahani to a five-wicket win in the afternoon match at Mirpur as they secured second spot.
All three matches at BKSP were cancelled owing to rain but the match between Brothers Union and Sheikh Jamal would stand out for the former's skipper Mizanur Rahman's 65-ball 100, laced with 13 fours and three sixes -- the first ton in this season's DPL. Prime Doleshwar, Mohammedan, Sheikh Jamal and Gazi make up the other spots in the top six while Rupganj, OLD DOHS and Partex Sporting will play the relegation league.