Ashraful to play for Barisal in NCL after Dhaka Metro snub
Image: BCB
|| CF Correspondent ||
Mohammad Ashraful is all set to play for Barisal Division in the upcoming National Cricket League (NCL) after Dhaka Metro refused to accommodate him in their team.
This is the first time since his first-class debut in 2001 that he would play any side in NCL apart from Dhaka. He was part of Dhaka Division in early of his career.
Ashraful, who started playing the domestic cricket regularly after his ban was lifted in 2017, has recently failed to acquire minimum marking of 11 in the beep test. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) made it mandatory to get least 11 in beep test for the players, aspiring to play the NCL but Ashraful scored only 9.5
As per BCB rules, he will get chances to enhance his marking in the beep test however.
Asharful was one of the most talented players of his generation but age seems to catch up with him as he is having a problem in finding teams. Last year in BPL he was not originally picked up by the franchise but later on was picked up by the Chittagong Vikings.
This year in NCL, Dhaka Metro showed their reluctance to play Ashraful in their original XI. Asharful wanted to play for the Sylhet division after being dropped from Dhaka metro but Sylhet also refused to pick him and lastly he was picked up by the Barisal team.
The NCL will start on October 10 and before that he has to pass the beep fitness test to get selected for playing in the NCL.
Asahraful however shared a different though for changing his team, stating that it won’t be possible for him to play all matches for Dhaka Metro as Mahmudullah Riyad will be playing first two rounds.
“I am playing for Barisal since it is not possible to play all matches for Dhaka Metro. Mahmudullah Riayd will be playing the first two rounds for Dhaka Metro. I am grateful to Barisal that they give me the chance to play,” he said.
