BCB to make stricter its new central contract

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will release its new central contract for the 2020-2021 season with stricter provisions in the aftermath of the Tigers’ ensuing bilateral away series against host New Zealand, a BCB director said. 

This time the contract will be held for red and white ball cricket for the 2021 season. But it is not yet certain which cricketers will get a place in the BCB central contract for the New Year.

But the director, seeking anonymity, said that a brace of big name’s players might be dropped from the white-ball cricket in the new players’ contract for the 2021 season.    

Even though BCB president Nazmul Hasan Papon earlier hinted about the players’ new central contract, he did not reveal it in detail. But he stated that several new issues are going to add to the new agreement of the players’ central contract this time around.

“We will go to a deal with them (players) now. We haven’t made any deals this year. We have not yet renewed our contract,” Nazmul Hassan Papon said .

“Some new things will be added to this agreement now. It will also say who wants to play in which format and they have to tell what they will choose to play for, national side or another tournament, if the time clashes,” Papon told media after holding a meeting with the players and the board directors at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur a day before Tigers departure for the New Zealand tour.

Shakib Al Hasan withdrew from the Test series against Sri Lanka to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the entire season. The decision of Tigers’ premier all-rounder is being discussed in the meeting and criticized by all.

They expressed their surprise at Shakib’s decision to skip Sri Lanka’s Test series which is a part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) where Bangladesh are yet to chalk up any points in the points table despite playing five Tests so far.

Of these, they played two Tests against top-flight India on Indian soil and West Indies at home yard, whilst one against Pakistan in Pakistan soil before and after the corona pandemic.

After being whitewashed in the Test against the West Indies at home backyard, Shakib’s decision to leave wasn’t delightful for any of the BCB including the president Nazmul Hassan Papon.

The BCB boss, however, is upset by Shakib’s decision. Despite being upset, Papon said that the board will not force any player to play if no one wants to play for the national team.

But he said this thing can’t continue and that it should be resolved.

“It’s not a matter of embarrassment, exactly upset. I’m upset if you tell me. You see, we don’t invest less in a player. I don’t even know if you know everything about the investment made by the board for the last 10-15 years,” he said.

“For sports contracts or any injuries, what facilities we give to the players wasn’t imaginable before. If the team tells me after losing two such Test matches here, it's not just these two test matches,” he also said.

Citing the shocking losses in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and West Indies, the president said, “We lost the Test match against Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. We lost two consecutive Tests on home soil with the West Indies. Then if anyone says I don’t play the next Test.”

“My idea was everyone would boost up and say we would have to win the next test match. But if anyone in that place wants to play another franchise league, not a Test match. Then there is nothing more to say. It is a must. Now our minds are absolutely clear. We will not force anyone anymore.”

Even though Shakib already took a big leave to play in IPL, Mustafizur Rahman has not yet made a decision. The left-arm pacer met BCB chief on Monday about playing in the IPL.

Paopn said Mustafiz that if he wants to play in IPL, he should send a letter to the BCB.

“Mustafiz came to meet me. He wants to know if he will go to IPL. I said look, I have nothing to say here. If you don’t want to play or go there, you will give us a letter. Thereafter, we won’t stop you any longer,” he added.