Shahadat pleads BCB for just a chance

National-discarded fast-bowler Shahadat Hossain Rajib applied to Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to reduce his ban as the pacer wants to resume his cricket in order to pay for the treatment of his cancer-stricken mother.

Rajib has been involved in controversies many times in his career. Of these controversies, it was the shocking more than others when he assaulted his teammate Arafat Sunny Jr during a National Cricket League (NCL) match for which he received a five-year ban (suspended for two years) and fined 3 lakhs taka.

The right-arm pacer had such an incident with Sunny at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium (SANS) in Khulna during the last edition of the National Cricket League (NCL). 

As of now, the pacer wants to return to cricket even though one and half-a-years still left for the ban slapped by the country’s national cricket apex body. He said that he has no other way to pay for the treatment of his mother who is suffering from cancer.

The pacer has already appealed to the (BCB) to reduce the ban. However, the board has not yet made a decision. He regrets his mistake and promises never to make it again.

“I have recently applied to the board to reduce my ban, now the rest depends on them. I don’t know any other thing to do without cricket. I regret my mistake. I have insisted that I will not show my face if the BCB ever receives any more allegations against me.” Shahadat told media.

Shahadat was told to leave the BCB- National Cricket Academy (NCA) ground of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur when he was bowling to his former teammates during the net practice session.

“I did not know that I cannot bowl. I went there and was acting as a net bowler and suddenly the chief curator Gamini asked me to leave the premises. I could not hold my tears when I was asked to leave the ground as there were several net bowlers who are yet to feature in any kind of tournament while I had the privilege to have my name on the Lord’s honours board, I’s written in my destiny and I have to live with it,” He said

Shahadat made his international debut in Test cricket against England in 2006. He has played 36 matches so far in this prestigious format of cricket from where he picked up 72 wickets in his kitty. Only Mashrafe Bin Mortaza among the Bangladeshi fast bowlers is above him with a credible 78 wickets. 

The pacer became the first Bangladesh cricketer to take 5 wickets and put up his name in the Lord’s Honors Board. He has played 51 ODIs and 6 T20s for Bangladesh where he took 47 wickets in ODIs and 4 wickets in T20s.