Dhaka, March 10: Amid uncertainty over his future, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was handed an all-format contract on Thursday as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 21-member slate of centrally contracted cricketers for the 2022 season.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday granted Shakib rest from all forms of international cricket until April 30 to recover from mental and physical fatigue and there were clouds over his career with the national team. However, an all-format contract clears the air regarding his availability for Bangladesh international matches in the future.
The announcement was made hours before Shakib’s arrival from the United Arab Emirates and the cricketer is expected to sit down with BCB President Nazmul Hasan to discuss his future.
According to a report on Cricbuzz, the all-rounder had verbally assured them that he will be available for the national team in all formats after he was given a break from touring South Africa. However, a BCB official said the board will not pay a cricketer’s salary for the time he is unavailable unless he is injured.
“If someone is not available for national duty other than injury, then they will not be paid for that period of time when the team is playing,” he said.
Shakib is among five cricketers including Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das who will receive all 9 contracts of all formats. The board introduced a format-specific contract system starting last year.
Tamim Iqbal and Mehedy Hasan got Test and ODI contracts, while Mahmudullah, Mustafizur Rahman and Afif Hossain got a contract for ODI and T20I.
The likes of Yasir Ali and Mahmudul Hasan are the only two new faces on the contract list as they are included for testing. Mohammad Saifuddin, Abu Jayed, Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar and Shamim Hossain all failed to make the cut, while Taijul Islam is only given a trial contract, even though he was listed in ODI for the past year.
Contracts for 2022: All formats: Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam
Tests and ODIs: Tamim Iqbal and Mehidy Hasan
Tests Only: Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shadman Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Yasir Ali, and Mahmudul Hasan Joy
ODI and T20I: Mahmudullah, Mustafizur Rahman and Afif Hossain
Only T20I: Mohammad Naim, Mahedi Hasan, Nurul Hasan and Nasum Ahmed
New inclusions: Yasir Ali and Mahmudul Hasan Joy