IPL 2021 – KKR Shakib Al Hasan: On Sunday, it was confirmed that Rajasthan Royals will miss services of Jofra Archer for the first half of IPL 2021 and now one other franchise can lose one of its star player. If Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) threat is serious than Kolkata Knight Riders will not have former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan in their ranks. According to the board, BCB is reconsidering NOC for Shakib Al Hasan for the upcoming IPL season.
IPL 2021: Will KKR lose services of Shakib? Why BCB wants to withdraw NOC to Shakib?
BCB president Nazmul Hassan called an emergency meeting at his residence following the accusation made by Shakib that he is was misrepresented by the national board for giving preference to the IPL 2021 over national duty. Shakib had accused the BCB, and particularly Akram Khan, the board’s cricket operations chairman.
“I heard that he said that I didn’t read his letter,” Khan said. “Perhaps I misunderstood his letter. He wants to play Tests, from what he has said. In the next couple of days we will discuss about his NOC. If he has interest, he will play Tests in Sri Lanka. We will decide about the rest after hearing the whole interview.”
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Khan confirmed that he read Shakib’s letter where it was mentioned that he wanted to skip the Sri Lanka series to play in the IPL. “Shakib wrote in the letter that he wants to play the IPL instead of the Test series in Sri Lanka,” he said.
“What does it imply? If someone is saying that I don’t want to tour Sri Lanka, where we have two Tests, to prepare for the World Cup then what does it actually mean?” Akram questioned, adding that the board will reconsider giving him the clearance for the T20 tournament in April-May.
The announcement came within 24 hours of Shakib saying that Akram did not read his letter and was providing misleading information about the same.
“I did not mention anywhere in my letter that I do not want to play Tests. I mentioned in my letter that I want to play in the IPL to prepare myself properly for World Cup (T20 World Cup) but despite that Akram bhai (BCB cricket operation chairman) has repeatedly said that I do not want to play Tests,” said Shakib in his letter.
“Maybe he also said this in an interview yesterday. I guess he didn’t really read my letter properly. And whatever decisions they have taken, I believe that they have been taken after discussing among themselves,” he said, adding that he is thankful to BCB president Nazmul Hasan for backing his decision and granting him permission to play the IPL.
Shakib said on Friday that Khan has continued to mention his desire not to play the Test series even though he wrote to the board that he wants to play in the IPL – where he has an Rs 3.2 crore contract with Kolkata Knight Riders – to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
IPL 2021: Big blow for Rajasthan Royals, unfit Jofra Archer set to miss start of IPL 14: Meanwhile Rajasthan Royals is also in a fix as England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Sunday named a 14-player squad for the three-match ODI series against India in Pune, confirming that star pacer Jofra Archer will go back home, missing the series besides the start of IPL 2021. It comes as a big blow for Rajasthan Royals (RR), who were banking on the England pacer’s wicket-taking and death-overs bowling to fight for the Indian Premier League title.
ALSO READ: IPL 2021: Big setback for Rajasthan Royals, Jofra Archer likely to miss IPL 2021 due to elbow injury
The news rang alarm bells in Rajasthan, for whom Archer is the lead bowler with wickets unmatched by any in the squad. In 14 matches last season, where RR finished at the bottom of the points table, Archer was the only positive highlight. He scalped 20 wickets from 14 matches with an impressive economy rate of 6.55 in the Indian Premier League 2020.
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