The Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Monday that they will not issue no-objection certificates to Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman for the remaining of the 2021 Indian Premier League since they will be busy practicing with the national squad for the ICC T20 World Cup.
Board president Nazmul Hassan has pointed to Bangladesh's busy international schedule in that period in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in India in October-November, but could well be shifted to the UAE keeping in mind the Covid-19 situation in India.
"It is almost impossible to provide NOC (for IPL) considering our international commitments. I don't see any chance of giving it (NOC) to them. We have the (T20) world cup coming up and now every match is important,'' BCB president Nazmul Hasan Papon was quoted saying by Ekattor TV, a private news channel in Bangladesh.
After touring Zimbabwe for a Test, three ODIs and three T20Is in June-July, Bangladesh will take on Australia in five T20Is at home in July-August, and both New Zealand (three T20Is) and England (three ODIs and three T20Is) are expected to tour Bangladesh after that for white-ball matches in the lead up to the World Cup.
Akram Khan, BCB's cricket operations chairman, stressed that keeping in mind all these matches, especially the England series - where the ODIs will be a part of the World Cup Super League - it was important for all the players to train and play together. "We have to consider the team training together," he said. "We want to go into the England series with full strength. Both the ODI Super League and the World Cup T20 are important to us."
Shakib was involved in a tussle with the BCB in March after he accused the board of "misrepresenting" his letter requesting an NOC to play in the IPL. In response, the BCB threatened to revoke his NOC, but ended up granting it. Shakib had missed the New Zealand tour in March this year because of a thigh injury and later opted out of the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka to play in the IPL. He has since skipped the PSL, opting to play in the Dhaka Premier League T20s instead.