Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful and batsman Sabbir Rahman have been overlooked in the players’ draft for the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), scheduled to commence early next year. While Sabbir participated in last year’s BPL, Ashraful missed the previous edition as well. His last appearance in the BPL dates back to 2019. Also read: BPL Players’ Draft 2024: Mushfiqur joins Fortune Barishal with Tamim, Mahmudullah All six franchises have finalized their squads in the players’ draft, and none have expressed interest in Ashraful and Sabbir. Both players are currently distant from the national team, and their performance in recent years has not merited consideration for a return. Also read: Next edition of BPL to be held after general election As Ashraful nears the twilight of his career, Sabbir still has ample cricket ahead of him. Hence, being overlooked in the BPL marks a significant setback for Sabbir, who has represented the Tigers in 125 international matches.

All-rounder Nasir Hossain has been temporarily prohibited from participating in domestic cricket following allegations of corruption by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Sources within the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have confirmed that Nasir must await ICC clearance before resuming his domestic cricket career. The players' draft for the upcoming season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is slated for September 24th. However, Nasir's name does not appear on the list of players released by the BCB. HC accepts appeal challenging suspension order of DSA case against Nasir’s wife Tamima The right-handed all-rounder participated in a T20 league in the UAE in 2021, where he, along with other players, allegedly engaged in unethical practices, according to the ICC. Case against cricketer Nasir: Order on charge framing on Feb 9 Nasir Hossain’s last international match dates back to 2018, after which he has been absent from the national squad. He represented the Tigers in a total of 19 Tests, 65 ODIs, and 31 T20Is. Cricketer Nasir, wife Tamima get bail

The pandemic came and marched on; as it lingered for more than a year the chance of domestic cricket taking place  last season withered with that.  Many cricketers, who are not part of the national team set-ups, were left helpless as they have no other source of income other than the one they get from playing in the domestic circuit.  Those cricketers found a flicker of hope when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to host the National Cricket League (NCL) last month. But the light went out as the NCL was put on hold after two rounds in the wake of a recent spike in Covid-19 deaths and cases. At least five cricketers, who played the first round of the event, tested positive for Covid-19. So, the board has stepped forward to limit the cricketers' movements off the field. Earlier, the BCB had decided to host the league in only two venues – Cox's Bazar and BKSP – instead of four. But the Cox's Bazar authority limited the movement of people in the area to stop the spread of the virus. Unable to manage venues, the board decided to halt the league for one week, which created fresh concerns among many cricketers, who have started thinking that the league might not resume. "The national team players will be able to survive for a year even if they do not get money from the board. They are established cricketers," Anamul Haque Bijoy, the opener who is out of the national team now, told the media on Saturday. Also read; Hapless Bangladesh still searching for answers in Test cricket "But those who are out of the national team set-ups or did not play for the national side yet will suffer a lot if there is no domestic cricket. Those are heavily reliant on cricketing activities at the lower tiers of the game – the first division, second division, third division or the academies— will suffer a lot," he added. There are at least 20 cricketers in every NCL team, and they also have a few members in the support staff. It means, at least 200 players and support staff take part in NCL. So, it is tough to manage a bio-secure bubble for so many people.  

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Thursday decided to postpone the ongoing Bangabandhu National Cricket League (NCL), taking stock of the Covid-19 situation in the country. Due to the recent surge in Covid-19 infections and fatalities, the BCB had decided to host NCL in only two venues – Cox's Bazar and BKSP. But the Cox's Bazar authority imposed different restrictions including on the use of public transport. So, the board opted to postpone the league after the end of the two rounds. Also read: NCL: Rajshahi pull off record win "It's a precautionary step, and a temporary move," BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury told the media on Thursday. "NCL is a first-class event and eight teams are contesting in this league in more than one venue. So the things are more challenging here." Nizamuddin also said the league would be resumed as soon as possible. He, however, did not mention any estimated time frame.  Also read: Zakir, Nazmul best performers of NCL 1st round At least seven cricketers including Mohammad Ashraful, Alok Kapali, Shadman Islam and Akbar Ali tested positive for Covid-19 since the start of the league.

Dhaka Division all-rounder Shuvagata Hom Wednesday hit a 100 against Sylhet Division on the third day of the second round of the 22nd National Cricket League in Cox's Bazar. On the same day, Rahatul Ferdous of Sylhet bagged seven wickets against Dhaka and Mukidul Islam of Rangpur registered his second six-wicket haul in the match against Khulna in Rangpur. NCL 2nd round score after day two Khulna vs Rangpur Khulna 1st innings 221/10 in 49.2 overs (Tushar 116, Nurul 31, Nahidul 29; Mukidul 6/64, Nobin 2/31, Ariful 2/54) Rangpur 1st innings 364/10 in 97.1 overs (Ariful 97, Nasir 66, Dhiman 43, Tanbir 31; Masum 4/78, Robiul 2/41, Abdul Halim 2/88) Khulna 2nd innings 259/10 in 69.3 overs (Amit 89, Ziaur 64, Imrul 31; Mukidul 6/67, Mahmudul 2/24) Rangpur 2nd innings 16/0 in 7 overs (Jahid 14*, Nobin 1*) Also read: NCL: Rajshahi pull off record win Sylhet vs Dhaka Division Sylhet 1st innings 370/10 in 114.4 overs (Zakir 159, Jaker 67, Asadullah 67; Shuvagata 4/86, Taibur 2/31, Sumon 2/55) Dhaka 1st innings 280/10 in 79.1 overs (Shuvagata 114, Saif 42, Joyraj 41, Arafat Sunny 37; Rahatul 7/75, Tanzim 2/63) Sylhet 2n innings 183/6 in 64.4 overs (Asadullah 74, Zakir 33, Sayem 31; Saif 2/19, Shuvagata 2/39) Also read: NCL: Tushar, Zakir continue to shine with bat Barishal vs Rajshahi Division Barishal 1st innings 82/10 in 29.3 overs (Moin 18, Salman 13, Moinul 12; Sunzamul 4/18, Taijul 4/39, Mohor 2/7) Rajshahi 1st innings 151/10 in 48.5 overs (Junaid 43, Taijul 37, Tanzid 36; Sohag 6/65, Monir 1/4) Barishal 2nd innings 60/10 in 34 overs (Moinul 28, Kamrul 14; Sunzamul 6/15, Taijul 4/23) Result: Rajshahi won by an innings and 9 runs and Taijul won the man of the match award. Also read: Zakir, Nazmul best performers of NCL 1st round Chattogram vs Dhaka Metro Chattogram 1st innings 402/8 (declared) in 126.3 overs (Pinak 159, Shahadat 53, Yasir 49; Arafat Sunny 3/120, Shohidul 2/78, Al Amin 1/26, Abu Haider 1/30) Dhaka Metro 1st innings 267/10 in 107.2 overs (Zahiduzzaman 71, Shamsur 68, Sharifullah 38, Al Amin 34; Hasan Murad 5/72, Mehedi Hasan Rana 2/74) Chattogram 2nd innings 43/1 in 17 overs (Mahmudul 20*, Sadikur 19*)

Rajshahi Division pulled off a record-breaking win in the second round of the Bangabandhu National Cricket League (NCL), the most prestigious First-class cricketing event in the country, on Tuesday.  In the four-day game, Rajshahi beat Barishal Division in less than two days. There is no precedent of winning a First-class match within this short period in Bangladesh. Barishal scored 142 runs in their two innings, which is now the lowest match aggregate in First-class in the country.  Sunzamul Islam bagged 10 wickets conceding 33 runs, the most economical haul of ten or more wickets in the country’s first-class history, and Taijul Islam took eight wickets. The tremendous bowling efforts set the foundation for Rajshahi’s win.  Brief scores of the 2nd round games of NCL after 2nd day:    Khulna vs Rangpur:  Khulna 1st innings: 221/10 in 49.2 overs (Tushar 116, Nurul 31, Nahidul 29; Mukidul 6/64, Nobin 2/31, Ariful 2/54) Rangpur 1st innings: 364/10 in 97.1 overs (Ariful 97, Nasir 66, Dhiman 43, Tanbir 31; Masum 4/78, Robiul 2/41, Abdul Halim 2/88) Khulna 2nd innings: 4/1 in 1.3 overs (Imrul Kayes 4*, Amit 0*; Mukidul 1/4)   Sylhet vs Dhaka Division: Sylhet 1st innings: 370/10 in 114.4 overs (Zakir 159, Jaker 67, Asadullah 67; Shuvagata 4/86, Taibur 2/31, Sumon 2/55) Dhaka 1st innings: 239/6 in 63 overs (Shuvagata 89*, Saif 42, Joyraj 41, Sunny 34*; Rahatul 3/65, Tanzim 2/42)   Barishal vs Rajshahi Division:  Barishal 1st innings: 82/10 in 29.3 overs (Moin 18, Salman 13, Moinul 12; Sunzamul 4/18, Taijul 4/39, Mohor 2/7) Rajshahi 1st innings: 151/10 in 48.5 overs (Junaid 43, Taijul 37, Tanzid 36; Sohag 6/65, Monir 1/4) Barishal 2nd innings: 60/10 in 34 overs (Moinul 28, Kamrul 14; Sunzamul 6/15, Taijul 4/23) Result: Rajshahi win by an innings and 9 runs. Taijul man of the match    Chattogram vs Dhaka Metro:  Chattogram 1st innings: 402/8 (declared) in 126.3 overs (Pinak 159, Shahadat 53, Yasir 49; Arafat Sunny 3/120, Shohidul 2/78, Al Amin 1/26, Abu Haider 1/30) Dhaka Metro 1st innings: 132/3 in 48 overs (Shamsur 68, Zabid 46*; Nayeem 1/42)

Veteran batsman Tushar Imran of Khulna Division, Zakir Hasan of Sylhet Division and Pinak Ghose of Chattogram Division hit First-class centuries on Monday, the day one of the second round of the Bangabandhu National Cricket League (NCL). It was Zakir’s second century of the season. Sohag Gazi of Barishal Divison and Mukidul Islam of Rangpur Division bagged six wickets each on Monday as well. In the first round of the games, Khulna and Dhaka divisions won their first Tier-one games while Dhaka Metro and Chattogram won their Tier-two games. Also read: Zakir, Nazmul best performers of NCL 1st round Brief score of day one of NCL second round: Khulna vs Rangpur: Khulna 1st innings: 221/10 in 49.2 overs (Tushar 116, Nurul 31, Nahidul 29; Mukidul 6/64, Nobin 2/31, Ariful 2/54) Rangpur 1st innings: 103/3 in 29 overs (Jahid 32, Tanbir 29*, Nasir 19*; Masum 1/24, Abdul Halim 1/34, Ziaur 1/38) Also read: NCL: Nasir hits 100, claims 4 wickets Sylhet vs Dhaka Division: Sylhet 1st innings: 282/6 in 90 overs (Zakir 159, Jaker 67, Asadullah 24*; Shuvagata 3/56, Sumon 2/48) Barishal vs Rajshahi Division: Barishal 1st innings: 82/10 in 29.3 overs (Moin 18, Salman 13, Moinul 12; Sunzamul 4/18, Taijul 4/39, Mohor 2/7) Rajshahi 1st innings: 151/10 in 48.5 overs (Junaid 43, Taijul 37, Tanzid 36; Sohag 6/65, Monir 1/4) Also read: NCL opening day: Saif hits 100; Tushar gets run-out on 99 Chattogram vs Dhaka Metro: Chattogram 1st innings: 281/4 in 88 overs (Pinak 137*, Yasir 49, Shahadat 32*; Arafat 2/66, Abu Haider 1/30)

Sylhet Division's Zakir Hasan and Dhaka Division's Nazmul Islam Apu ended the first round of the Bangabandhu 22nd National Cricket League (NCL) as the best batsman and bowler. Despite scoring most runs in the first round of NCL, Zakir could not help his team to register a win due to the failure of his teammates. However, Nazmul helped Dhaka pull off a victory against Rangpur.  Zakir hit 151 with a highest of 140 while Nazmul bagged 10 wickets with a six-wicket haul. All four matches of the round got a winner as Dhaka beat Rangpur by 80 runs, Khulna beat Sylhet by eight wickets, Chattogram beat Rajshahi by 88 runs while Dhaka Metropolis beat Barishal by eight wickets. Also read: NCL: Nasir hits 100, claims 4 wickets Dhaka vs Rangpur Dhaka 1st innings 365/10 in 106.3 overs (Saif 127, Nadif 69, Mahidul 47, Arafat 42; Alauddin 4/46, Mahmudul 2/78) Rangpur 1st innings 230/10 in 93.4 overs (Nasir 115, Mahmudul 27, Alauddin 22; Nazmul 4/89, Shakil 2/12, Sumon 2/31) Dhaka 2nd innings 128/10 in 45.5 overs (Arafat 40, Rony 21, 19 Shuvagata; Nasir 4/21, Sohrawordi 3/26, Mahmudul 2/39) Rangpur 2nd innings 183/10 in 86.2 overs (Naeem 61, Akbar 28, Sohrawordi 20; Nazmul 6/64, Taibur 2/21) Result: Dhaka won by 80 runs and Nazmul won the man of the match award Also read: NCL opening day: Saif hits 100; Tushar gets run-out on 99 Khulna vs Sylhet Khulna 1st innings 375/10 in 109.4 overs (Tushar 99, Imrul 90, Nahidul 48, Robiul 37; Ebadot 3/79, Abu Jayed 3/94, Alok 1/52) Sylhet 1st innings 134/10 in 60.4 overs (Imtiaz 37, Enamul Jr 30, Jaker 18, Amit 14; Ziaur 3/24, Masum 3/71, Halim 2/60) Sylhet 2nd innings (follow-on) 308/10 in 104.5 overs (Zakir 140, Amite 66, Alok 23; Halim 4/62, Moinul 3/36) Khulna 2nd innings 73/2 in 9.3 overs (Imran 33*, Imrul 18, Robiul 14; Khaled 1/32, Rejaur 1/5) Result: Khulna won by 8 wickets and Zakir Hasan won the man of the match award Barishal vs Dhaka Metro Barishal 1st innings 241/10 in 76 overs (Ashraful 48, Abu Sayem 46, Sohag 45, Shykat 36; Abu Haider 3/34, Rakibul 3/76, Arafat 2/59) Dhaka Metro 1st innings 413/10 in 129.2 overs (Marshall 112, Shohidul 106, Zahiduzzaman 60, Zabid 41; Kamrul 2/49, Sohag 2/77, Monir 2/80, Tanvir 2/84) Barishal 2nd innings 208/10 in 73.2 overs (Moinul 63, Salman 44, Shykat 25, Monir 18; Abu Haider 3/42, Shohidul 2/43, Shamsur 1/2) Dhaka Metro 2nd innings 37/2 in 11.5 overs (Zahiduzzaman 15, Anisul 10; Tanvir 2/13) Result: Dhaka Metro won by eight wickets and Shohidul Islam won the man of the match award Chattogram vs Rajshahi Chattogram 1st innings 287/10 101.2 overs (Shahadat 108, Yasir 63, Mehede 55; Farhad 4/44, Asaduzzaman 2/21, Taijul 2/63) Rajshahi 1st innings 152/10 in 44.3 overs (Farhad 27, Forhad 24, Shabbir 24; Noman 4/47, Mehedi 3/22, Hasan 2/35) Chattogram 2nd innings 147/10 in 50.5 overs (Irfan 65, Mahmudul 39, Shahadat 19; Towhid 3/19, Farhad 3/37, Taijul 3/48) Rajshahi 2nd innings 194/10 in 69 overs (Junaid 68*, Tanzid 28, Farhad 25, Towhid 23; Mehedi 4/35, Ifran 3/40) Result: Chattogram won by 88 runs and Mehedi Hasan won the man of the match award

Bangladesh all-rounder Nasir Hossain is enjoying a good run of form in the Bangabandhu 22nd National Cricket League (NCL). He hit a century (115) off 252 with 11 fours and four sixes for Rangpur against Dhaka on Wednesday at BKSP. The all-rounder also bagged four wickets in the second innings. However, Dhaka is in a good position in the game as Rangpur will need to score 299 runs on the fourth and last day of the game with eight wickets. NCL match score after day three Dhaka 1st innings 365/10 in 106.3 overs (Saif 127, Nadif 69, Mahidul 47, Arafat 42; Alauddin 4/46, Mahmudul 2/78) Rangpur 1st innings 230/10 in 93.4 overs (Nasir 115, Mahmudul 27, Alauddin 22; Nazmul 4/89, Shakil 2/12, Sumon 2/31) Dhaka 2nd innings 128/10 in 45.5 overs (Arafat 40, Rony 21, 19 Shuvagata; Nasir 4/21, Sohrawordi 3/26, Mahmudul 2/39) Rangpur 2nd innings 35/2 in 17 overs (Sohrawordi 12*, Mahmudul 4*) Khulna 1st innings 375/10 in 109.4 overs (Tushar 99, Imrul 90, Nahidul 48, Robiul 37; Ebadot 3/79, Abu Jayed 3/94, Alok 1/52) Sylhet 1st innings 134/10 in 60.4 overs (Imtiaz 37, Enamul Jr 30, Jaker 18, Amit 14; Ziaur 3/24, Masum 3/71, Halim 2/60) Sylhet 2nd innings (follow on) 250/5 in 83 overs (Zakir 118*, Amit 66, Jaker 17, Alok 14*; Moinul 2/30, Halim 2/40) Barishal 1st innings 241/10 in 76 overs (Ashraful 48, Abu Sayem 46, Sohag 45, Shykat 36; Abu Haider 3/34, Rakibul 3/76, Arafat 2/59) Dhaka Metro 1st innings 413/10 in 129.2 overs (Marshall 112, Shohidul 106, Zahiduzzaman 60, Zabid 41; Kamrul 2/49, Sohag 2/77, Monir 2/80, Tanvir 2/84) Barishal 2nd innings 177/7 in 58 overs (Moinul 63, Salman 44, Shykat 25; Shohidul 2/34, Abu Haider 2/35) Chattogram 1st innings 287/10 101.2 overs (Shahadat 108, Yasir 63, Mehede 55; Farhad 4/44, Asaduzzaman 2/21, Taijul 2/63) Rajshahi 1st innings 152/10 in 44.3 overs (Farhad 27, Forhad 24, Shabbir 24; Noman 4/47, Mehede 3/22, Hasan 2/35) Chattogram 2nd innings 147/10 in 50.5 overs (Irfan 65, Mahmudul 39, Shahadat 19; Towhid 3/19, Farhad 3/37, Taijul 3/48) Rajshahi 2nd innings 147/5 in 53 overs (Junaid 51*, Tanzid 28, Towhid 23, Farhad 4*; Ifran 2/35, Yasir 1/15, Mehede 1/22)

Saif Hassan struck the first ton of the 22nd Walton National Cricket League (NCL) on Monday at BKSP for Dhaka Division against Rangpur Division.