BCB Denies NOC To Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun For Afghanistan Premier League

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), on Friday (October 6), confirmed it would not issue No-Objection Certificates (NOC)to Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun for their participation in the Afghanistan Premier League.

The board took the decision, keeping in mind the upcoming assignments against Zimbabwe and West Indies at home. Zimbabwe will visit Bangladesh for three One-Day Internationals and two Tests. The series will get underway on October 21 with the first ODI.

On the other hand, West Indies, currently in India for a full-fledged series, will visit Bangladesh in November. Bangladesh will host West Indies for two Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is. And with both Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun in frame to get a place in the squad, the BCB has decided them permission to play in the ongoing Afghanistan Premier League.

“We don’t want to let them play because of the national commitments and the two upcoming home-series,” BCB cricket operation chairman Akram Khan told Cricbuzz.

Unlike Sarkar and Mithun, their teammate Taskin Ahmed got the NOC. Both Sarkar and Mithun were drafted in by Kandahar Knights along with Taskin. Taskin joined the side on Tuesday (October 2) while both of them were expected to fly in Friday.

Speaking about the difference in treatment, Akram Khan said:

“Taskin got the NOC for other reasons. [He is] a fast bowler and he was injured for a long time and so we want to see his condition.”

Mithun had a good outing in the recently-concluded Asia Cup. The right-hander scored two fighting fifties, helping Bangladesh reach the final of the competition. He finished the tournament as Bangladesh’s fourth-highest scorer with 137 runs in 6 games. On the other hand, Soumya could play only a couple of games.