Sabbir Rahman Dropped For Final Afghanistan T20I Due To Disciplinary Reason

Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman reportedly lost his place in the playing eleven for the last game against Afghanistan in the recently-concluded three-match T20I series on disciplinary grounds.

According to reports, the controversial player and Mehidy Hasan had a verbal argument during the second T20I. Eye witnesses confirm that altercation eventually turned physical.

“It was not that big an issue, just a misunderstanding. The incident is not even mentioned in manager’s report,” an official was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

With Sabbir’s past disciplinary record not any good, team manager Khaled Mahmud opted to brush this episode aside. Last year, he had found himself in trouble after assaulting a spectator during a first-class match in Rajshahi. The incident had taken place on the second day of Rajshahi Division’s National Cricket League game against Dhaka Metropolis. Bangladesh Cricket Board had come down heavily on Sabbir after the incident, stripping him of national cricket. Sabbir also had to pay a hefty fine of  TK 20 lakh. He is still serving a six-month ban from domestic cricket.

In 2016, he was penalised 30 percent of his BPL contract money [TK 12 Lakh] for entertaining a female guest at the team hotel. In the just concluded BPL, he had to give half of his match fees as fine and received three demerit points for misbehaving with an on-field umpire.

The latest incident comes days after BCB chief accused the players of taking advantage of a “free environment in the dressing room” in the absence of a head coach.

“Earlier they were guided by someone [Chandika Hathurusingha] known to be firm follower of strict discipline without any compromise. And they were used to run by someone who carried an angry-man like personality preferring to take all the decision by himself,” he had said.

“I was with them in Sri Lanka during the Nidahas Trophy and they played reasonably and though they did not play extremely well still no one questioned while they lost. Somehow now I don’t find them to be representing Bangladesh,” he had added.