Abu Dhabi Franchise United Tigers Angry with the BCB for Refusing Clearance to Four Cricketers Including Sohan and Shamim
Franchise United Tigers has expressed anger and disappointment with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for refusing clearance (no-objection certificates) to four Bangladeshi cricketers to play in the Abu Dhabi T10 League. The franchise's owner, Zafir Yasin Chowdhury, said the BCB's decision has put his team in difficulty.
The Abu Dhabi T10 League will begin on 7 November. Ahead of the coming edition, United Tigers had signed Nurul Hasan Sohan, Sheikh Mahedi Hasan, Shamim Patwary and Sohanur Rahman. The franchise had even posted photos of the four cricketers on its verified Facebook page.
But with the BCB refusing clearance, United Tigers will ultimately not get these four cricketers. The franchise's frustration, after completing its squad-building, planning and investment, is evident in its statement.
In the statement, Zafir Yasin said: 'United Tigers has signed four Bangladeshi cricketers for this season's Abu Dhabi T10 League. In this edition of the competition, we are the only franchise that has signed Bangladeshi cricketers.'
He added: 'Under the leadership of Fakhar Zaman, we believed this tournament would give them an important opportunity to play alongside experienced international cricketers and share the same dressing room.' In other words, the franchise saw this league as a stage for Bangladeshi players to gain international experience.
Zafir Yasin directly criticised BCB President Tamim Iqbal. He said: 'We are extremely hurt and disappointed to learn that the BCB has decided not to give these players no-objection certificates. In particular, as far as we know, they have no international commitments during the relevant period.'
His complaint continued: 'This decision has been taken under the current leadership of BCB President Tamim Iqbal. On a matter that directly affects Bangladeshi cricketers and their involvement with international franchises, we had expected more clarity and coordination from him.'
In Zafir Yasin's view, the impact of such a BCB decision will not be limited to this one edition. In his words: 'This kind of decision can discourage foreign franchises from signing Bangladeshi cricketers in the future.'
He argued that if, even after completing player recruitment, planning and financial investment, franchises cannot be sure of the players' availability, they will naturally become reluctant to invest in Bangladeshi talent.
According to the franchise owner, the ultimate result risks reducing Bangladeshi players' opportunities and experience at international level, as well as hindering their long-term development.
Before the league begins on 7 November, United Tigers must now find replacements for these four cricketers. On the other side, if the BCB gives a formal explanation of why it did not grant the clearance, the picture of this dispute will become clearer.
