The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially denied left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in English county cricket. This decision is rooted in the board’s commitment to prioritizing the long-term interests of the national team and ensuring effective workload management for the player, who has only recently recovered from a hamstring injury.
Shahriar Nafees, the BCB’s cricket operations in-charge, explained that participating in a demanding and high-intensity tournament like county cricket immediately after recovering from an injury would significantly increase physical strain and the risk of a recurrence. With a grueling schedule ahead, the national team is set to compete in 5 Tests, 7 T20Is, and 6 ODIs over the next three months. Given that Shoriful remains a vital bowling asset across all three formats, the medical team and management are exercising extra caution to keep him fully fit and refreshed for these upcoming international commitments.
While the board has restricted Shoriful’s participation, it has granted permission to pacer Khaled Ahmed to play in the County Championship for Kent. The BCB views this as a beneficial opportunity for Khaled, as he is currently fully fit and has not played enough competitive matches recently, making the county circuit an ideal venue for his preparation. Ultimately, the BCB’s protective stance regarding Shoriful reflects a broader strategy to safeguard the long-term performance and physical well-being of its key players.
