Zakir, Hasan rewarded as BCB releases central contract list

Youngster Zakir Hasan and Hasan Mahmud came under contract for the first time as Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) released the new contract list, which included a total of 21 cricketers for three formats of the cricket for the period of 1 January to 31 December 2023, reports BSS.

Zakir Hasan hit a century against India in Bangladesh last Test series at home and thereafter continued his form in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20. Pacer Hasan Mahmud has been impressive since his debut in 2020.

Zakir, however, was rewarded contract for Test format while Hasan got a contract for T20 format.

Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz were the only four cricketers amongst the 21 to get contract for all three formats of the cricket. Mehidy indeed replaced Mushfiqur Rahim who was contracted for Test and ODI cricket this year after retiring from the T20 cricket.

ODI captain Tamim Iqbal also got contract for two format-- Test and ODI-- after his retirement from the T20 cricket. Another senior player Mahmudullah Riyad got contract for only ODI cricket, which hinted that the team management is no longer keen to consider him in T20 format.

Mahmudullah who retired from the Test cricket, wanted to continue for ODI and T20 cricket but the selectors axed him from the T20 World Cup following his poor form in this format.

He was reluctant to retire from the shortest format of the cricket like Mushfiqur and Tamim despite the snub. Now it was clear his T20 career is effectively ended.

Yasir Ali, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam and Naim Sheikh were the four cricketers who were dropped from the central contract list.

Najmul Hossain Shanto and Nurul Hasan Sohan got Test and T20 contract while batter Mominul Haque, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, pacers Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed got contract for just Test format.

As usually medium pacer Mustafizur Rahman got contract in ODI and T20 cricket as the team management is not willing to feature him in longer version format due to his lack of ability to swing the ball, a skill that the Test format demand.

Batter Afif Hossain and pacer Shoriful Islam were the other two cricketers to get ODI and T20 contract. Earlier, Shoriful was included in all three formats but he was dropped from the Test format after failing to show his skill.

Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed, spin allrounders Mahedi Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain Saikat got just T20 contract like Hasan Mahmud.

Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Taksin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan Miraz;

Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim;

Najmul Hossain Shanto, Nurul Hasan Shohan;

Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossian, Khaled Ahmed, Zakir Hasan;

Mahmudullah Riyad;

Mustafizur Rahman, Afif Hossain, Shoriful Islam;

Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Hasan Mahmud