Fortune Barishal makes strong side after BPL draft

|| CF CORRESPONDENT ||

The 11^th edition of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) players' draft has ended at a city hotel on Monday. Seven participating franchises have secured key players from the draft.

Bangladesh's all-format skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was in Category A, was picked by Fortune Barishal as leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, another Category A player, was a late picked by the same franchise in their seventh call in the draft for the upcoming tournament, scheduled to start on December 27.

Mahmudullah also joined Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim’s Barishal.

Durbar Rajshahi picked Taskin Ahmed in the first call while Litton Das was roped in by Dhaka Capitals in the players' draft.

Among the other notable names, former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza was picked by Sylhet Strikers, which was his last two-time franchise, while speed star Nahid Rana and all-rounder Soumya Sarkar were roped in by Rangpur.

From the foreign players’ list, Sylhet grabbed England’s pacer Reece Topley and Afghanistan's Samiullah Shinwari, Dhaka picked Pakistan's Saim Ayub, Barishal went for English County player James Fuller and Sri Lanka international Pathum Nissanka while Rangpur roped in Ireland's Curtis Campher.

Here's a look at the seven teams:

Chittagong Kings 

From Draft: Shamim Hossain, Parvez Emon, Khaled Ahmed, Alis Al Islam, Graham Clark (England), Tom O'Connell (Australia), Mohammad Mithun, Naim Islam, Maruf Mridha, Rahatul Ferdous, Sheikh Parvez Jibon, Marshal Ayub

Direct Contracts: Shakib Al Hasan and Shariful Islam, Moeen Ali, Usman Khan, Haider Ali, Angelo Mathews, Mohammad Wasim Junior, and Binura Fernando

Fortune Barishal 

From Draft: Mahmudullah Riyad, Tanvir Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Ripon Mandal, James Fuller (England), Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka), Ebadot Hossain, Naim Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taijul Islam, Nandre Burger (South Africa), Shahidul Islam, Ariful Islam 

Direct Contract: Towhid Hridoy, Dawid Malan, Kyle Mayers, Mohammad Nabi, Faheem Ashraf

Retained: Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim

Dhaka Capitals 

From Draft: Litton Das, Habibur Rahman, Mukidul Islam Mugdho, Abu Jayed Rahi, Saim Ayub (Pakistan), Amir Hamza (Afghanistan), Sabbir Rahman, Munim Shahriar, Asif Hasan, Shahadat Hossain Dipu

Direct Contracts: Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shahnawaz Dahani, Stephen Eskinazi, Thisara Perera, Johnson Charles

Durbar Rajshahi 

From Draft: Taskin Ahmed, Jisan Alam, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Sabbir Hossain, Saad Nasim (Pakistan), Lahiru Samarakoon (Sri Lanka), Sanzamul Islam, Mehrab Hossain, Akbar Ali, Hasan Murad, Mohammad Shafiul Islam, Mohor Sheikh Antor

Direct Contracts: Anamul Haque Bijoy

Rangpur Riders 

From Draft: Nahid Rana, Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar, Raqibul Hasan, Akif Javed (Pakistan), Curtis Campher (Ireland), Rejaur Rahman Raja, Irfan Sukkur, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Tawfique Khan 

Direct Contract: Mohammad Saifuddin, Alex Hales, Khushdil Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Saurabh Netravalkar

Retained: Nurul Hasan Sohan and Sheikh Mahedi Hasan

Sylhet Strikers 

From Draft: Rony Talukdar, Mashrafe Mortaza, Al Amin Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Rakheem Cornwall (West Indies), Samiullah Shinwari (Afghanistan), Ruyel Mia, Ariful Haque, Nihaduzzaman, Nahidul Islam, Reece Topley (England)

Direct Contract: Zakir Ali Anik, Paul Stirling, George Munsey

Retained: Tanzim Hasan Shakib and Zakir Hasan

Khulna Tigers 

From Draft: Hasan Mahmud, Naim Sheikh, Imrul Kayes, Mahidul Ankon, Mohammad Hasnain (Pakistan), Lewis Gregory (England), Abu Haider Rony, Ziaur Rahman, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabbi, Mahmudul Hasan Joy

Direct Contract: Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Oshane Thomas, Mohammad Nawaz

Retained: Afif Hossain and Nasum Ahmed