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Top three turn down CPL advances


Bangladeshpost
Published : 16 Jul 2020 09:33 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 12:44 AM

Three Bangladesh cricketers - Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mustafizur Rahman - have opted out of the upcoming edition of Caribbean Premier League, scheduled from August 18. 

The six-team eighth version of the CPL, the domestic Twenty20 cricket league of West Indies, which was initially scheduled to be played in six islands, will now take place in Trinidad. 

While Tamim declined to go in order to be available for the Dhaka Premier League that is postponed since March this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mahmudullah opted to stay back for family reasons. 

Mustafizur turned down the chance because of the uncertainty around when international cricket would resume for Bangladesh, and is keen to prioritise that when it eventually happen. 

''One of the team approached me. But because of our domestic  season Dhaka Premier League  might start soon, I opted not to go,'' Tamim told Cricbuzz on Wed nesday. 

Mahmudullah admitted that he was very close to signing up for the CPL as he enjoyed his earlier  stint in the Caribbean, but later changed his mind after his family members raised concerns over travelling. 

"I have played in the CPL previously and have always enjoyed my experience there,'' said Mahmudullah. 

"The offer I got from CPL was very good for me. I was very close to signing with one of the teams but my family is my main concern, 

and they are also worried about me traveling during this time,"  he said. 

While Tamim and Mahmudullah had the experience of playing in previous editions of the CPL it was not the case with Mustafizur as he is yet to feature in the competition so far. 

The left-arm pace bowler insisted he made the decision purely on the basis of his national duty commitments, and that it had nothing to do with BCB sanction, as the board allowed him to take part in the IPL auction of last season. 

''I don't know when our country's domestic and national cricket will start again. 

If the corona's intensity and severity decrease and the situation return to normal, the postponed tour or home series could start again now. 

I do not know when and without knowing it, if I sign a contract to play in the CPL, then it can be a big problem,'' said Mustafizur. 

''My country is first priority and has to play for the country. But if I give my words to the CPL team, then they will also have a problem. If they don't get me in the right place after making a deal with me, then they will have problem and so I said no,'' he said. 

''Now I am waiting for the national team to start training," he added. 

There is a possibility that DPL might start from mid-August if everything goes according to  plan, while BCB is not completely ruling out Sri Lanka tour as a window has opened up with the postponement of the Asia Cup. 

BCB is planning to call a national training camp from  mid-August if DPL eventually doesn't resume at that point  in time.