The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has declined to grant a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to fast bowler Taskin Ahmed for his participation in the ongoing County Championship season with Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The BCB, prioritizing Taskin’s fitness ahead of the upcoming World Cup, is reluctant to expose him to the workload of red-ball cricket at this stage.
The head coach of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Ottis Gibson, who previously served as Bangladesh’s bowling coach, approached Taskin to join the team. However, discussions between Taskin’s former coach and the BCB did not yield positive results. The board’s cricket operation chairman, Jalal Yunus, stated that the BCB rejected the request as they are concerned about Taskin’s workload and want to ensure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup.
Taskin Ahmed recently recovered from a side strain injury and was included in the Bangladesh squad. The injury had ruled him out of the Test series against Ireland and the three ODIs against Ireland. Under the guidance of coach Chandika Hathurusingha, Taskin bowled at full strength during the team’s practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, marking his return to action.
Habibul Bashar, a member of the BCB selection panel, expressed regret for Taskin as he has yet to participate in a prestigious global tournament, despite receiving offers from IPL (Lucknow Super Giants) and PSL (Multan Sultans) in the past. However, Habibul emphasized that Taskin is considered a vital player for Bangladesh and the board cannot take any chances with his fitness before the World Cup.
While acknowledging the pride associated with playing county cricket and global franchise-based T20 tournaments, Habibul explained that the BCB must carefully evaluate various factors before releasing a player for overseas competitions, especially if they have recently recovered from an injury. The board intends to make a decision on Taskin’s availability for the lone Test against Afghanistan closer to the match date, considering his recent recovery and fitness.
