Shakib, Mashrafee to feature in domestic T20 tournament
Pic: CF
|| CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh banned all-rounder Shakib al Hasan and former ODI skipper Mashrafee bin Mortaza will feature in the upcoming domestic T20 competition, said Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan on Tuesday.
Shakib is serving a one year ban for failing to approach corrupt approaches and will be free to play from coming October 29.
While Mashrafee refused to play in the three-team 50 over competition that will kick start from October 11, the veteran all-rounder expressed his desire to play in the T20 competition that is scheduled from November 20.
‘’Certainly [Shakib will play in the domestic T20 tournament]. That is all I know,’’ Nazmul told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
‘’Mashrafe will play the next one after the three-day game as he has suddenly heard about it and it is not like that he is not interested to play the three-team 50 over game. The thing is he needs to quarantine and it will take some time for his preparation and fitness but he will play the next available tournament [domestic T20 competition],’’ he said.
Nazmul said that they are yet to fix whether this T20 tournament will be corporate league or it will backed by BCB but insisted that no matter there will be a domestic T20 tournament.
‘’We are yet to finalize whether it will be a corporate tournament or sponsored by the BCB. But it is confirmed that this tournament is going to take place. In one issue we were unable to take a decision today which was whether we would allow foreign players or not and I have taken a day’s time before taking the decision,’’ said Nazmul.
‘’Apart from that almost everything is final and we are interested to arrange a five-team tournament where we could have at least 75 local players can participate and we can do that,’’ he said.
‘’We are planning to arrange the tournament in mid- November and we are still in discussion whether the entire tournament will be corporate and whether there will be auction for the foreign players or the teams could sign them directly for their side. Nothing is yet confirmed yet whether we will make a pool of foreign players or through auction. But I think it will be through auction but nothing is conformed yet,’’ he said adding that he got huge response from the corporate despite the pandemic.
‘’We have gone to those [sponsors] who were engaged with us from the past and as it is going to be a small budget tournament and not as big like BPL so I don’t think it won’t be a problem for us,’’ he said.
