Barishal Seek Apology for Shakib Issue

Fortune Barishal, the runners-up of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has expressed regret over the issue of Shakib Al Hasan who skipped a pre-final photo session to attend a shooting of an advertisement. 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday handed a show-cause notice to Barishal to breach the protocol set by them for the BPL. 

Leaving the team during the tournament was a violation of the rules, Barishal management admitted. They said they are seeing the whole incident as a mistake. A BCB official admitted receiving the letter but BCB is yet to take any disciplinary action.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon earlier said: “We gave clear instructions and asked them to maintain protocols. We have informed them how to maintain those. As they breach the protocol they were given a show-cause letter and I think the franchise should be held responsible for this and it is totally unacceptable.”

Although the BCB president talked about bio-bubble, there was no bio-bubble in BPL this time as Managed Event Environment (MEE) has been followed instead of that, a protocol that was followed in the Olympics.

In MEE, it is clearly stated that if any cricketer or official leaves the hotel for personal reasons due to special needs, he / she must re-enter the hotel with a Covid Negative Certificate. According to the medical department of the BCB, Shakib was allowed to play in the final on Friday with a negative report after undergoing a Covid test.

Shakib was scheduled to take part in the official photo session on Thursday. But the Barisal captain did not come to the field. On the contrary, Sabbir Khan, the manager of Fortune Barisal, told the media about his absence, saying that Shakib did not take part in the photo session due to stomach ache. Nurul Hasan Sohan posed for the official photo session with Comilla Victorians captain Imrul Kayes instead of Shakib.

“Yesterday was optional practice, we practiced. Maybe he (Shakib) couldn't come because he was at the gym today. That's why I came,” Sohan said of Shakib.

Coach Khaled Mahmood Sujan said, "If you look at the whole BPL, Shakib has batted for three to four days. Today he said, "I don't feel well, I won't go." I said okay.”