PCB allows Yousuf to play in Bangladesh

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board has given permission for Mohammad Yousuf to play in Bangladesh.

Last week the PCB barred Yousuf and Younis Khan from representing Pakistan for an indefinite period due to infighting.

PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said on Wednesday the chairman of the cricket board Ejaz Butt has allowed Yousuf to compete in a Bangladesh private league.

The PCB also imposed heavy fines on Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Kamran Akmal after a review of the national team's performance. Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved were banned for a year and were also fined.

Faisal Iqbal signs contract with Bangladesh cricket for T20 league

Karachi, Apr.9 (ANI): After all rounder Shoaib Malik and fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, another Pakistan cricketer, batsman Faisal Iqbal, has signed a contract with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for its T20 league, which is scheduled to commence on April 11.

Buzz up!

Iqbal would be playing for Sultans of Sylhet in the five-day tournament, which would conclude on April 15.

"I have received a clearance to play in the tournament from the Pakistan Cricket Board," Iqbal said.

Iqbal, who had played in another Bangladeshi T20 tournament in Sharjah earlier this month, said he is looking forward to do well in the upcoming T20 championship in Dhaka to force his way into the national squad.

"I'm hoping that my performances in Twenty20 format will be noticed by the selectors because I've had several good scores in the National Twenty20 Cup and the Sharjah event," The News quoted Iqbal, as saying.

Faisal is an experienced middle-order batsman, but wasn't included in the list of 30 probables for the ICC World Twenty20 championship to be held in the West Indies from April 30 to May 16.

It may be noted that the PCB had issued a strict warning to the players wanting to participate in domestic tournaments of other countries, saying they must obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the board.

The PCB had also prohibited players selected for the upcoming ICC T20 World Championship from taking part in Bangladesh's domestic T20 tournament.

Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Mohammed Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Nazir had signed for the tournament, but insiders said the PCB does not want to risk these players ahead of the coveted T20 World Cup and is unlikely to grant them NOC's.

The PCB has already allowed former captain Mohammed Yousuf, who is facing an indefinite ban, to take part in the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL). (ANI)

Cyclones rope in Akhter

While the Sultans of Sylhet grabbed the biggest local name in Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the Cyclones of Chittagong made an even bigger splash after they announced the capture of Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhter for the National Cricket League's brand new Twenty20 tournament.

Sylhet snapped up Bangladesh pacer Mashrafe when six franchises chose the players through a lottery during a marathon launching ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel yesterday.

However, dashing opener Tamim Iqbal, the Icon of Cyclones of Chittagong, soon burst Sylhet's bubble as he disclosed that his side was all set to bring in Akhter, who has been in the wilderness of international cricket for quite a long period of time.

"It is all but confirmed that [Shoaib] Akhter will join the team before the start of the tournament [on April 11]," said Tamim.

Country's leading paceman Mashrafe, who is currently with IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders, was also given the highest grade but not included in the Icon Players' list. Sylhet capitalised on this and picked his name in their first opportunity.

In the launching ceremony of the tournament the main attraction was the players' selections through lottery after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had initially distributed four Icon Players amongst each of the six divisional teams.

The respective teams' Icon Players along with the coaching staff took part in the lottery to select the player and they got little time to think about the selection.

During the programme, which started an hour later than scheduled, the owners of the six divisional teams were introduced and the logos for the different teams were also unveiled.

BCB's director and marketing committee chairman Aziz Al Kaiser Titoo along with his three other partners came forward to buy the Barisal team to make sure that no team would remain unsold.

ATN Records, who got the event marketing rights, also signed a deal with Destiny2000, which earned the title sponsorship rights spending Tk 1.5 crore.

Gazi Ashraf Hossain, BCB's director and chairman of the tournament committee, informed that five matches would be held under floodlights at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur despite the country going through a severe power crisis.

"First of all I apologise for the delay. We believe that it would be a successful event and helpful for the national players before the World Cup. Despite power crisis five matches will be day-night affairs," said Ashraf.

Former national skipper Roquibul Hassan was moderator in the programme.

CYCLONES OF CHITTAGONG
Tamim Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Faisal Hossain, Nasir Hossain, Uttam Sarker, Enamul Haque, Saqlain Sajib, Marshal Ayub, Kamrul Islam, Nafis Iqbal, Sharifullah, Talha Jubair and Tanveer Haider.

DHAKA DYNAMITES
Mohammad Ashraful, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jahirul Islam, Mahbubul Alam, Shamsur Rahman, Mohammad Rafique, Nur Hossain Munna, Tapash Baishya, Emon Ahmed, Abul Hasan Raju, Nabil Samad, Mohammad Shahajada, Mehrab Hossain and Rumman Ahmed.

KINGS OF KHULNA
Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak, Imrul Kayes, Dollar Mahmud, Mohammad Mithun, Imtiaz Hossain, Alauddin Babu, Tushar Imran, Forhad Hossain and Mohammad Sharif, Elias Sunny, Nurul Hossain, Tareq Aziz Khan and Nizamuddin.

BARISAL BLAZERS
Nafees Iqbal, Rokibul Hasan, Nazimuddin, Ziaur Rahman, Sabbir Ahmed, Rony Talukdar, Syed Rasel, Shuvasish Roy, Arafat Sunny, Shaker Ahmed, Sahagir Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan, Robiul Islam and Monir Hossain.

RAJSHAHI RANGERS
Naeem Islam, Junaed Siddiqui, Shafiul Islam, Sohrawardi Shuvo, Sanjamul Islam, Shuvagoto Hom, Nadif Chowdhury, Mukter Ali, Khaled Mashud, Hannan Sarker, Ezaz Ahmed, Delwar Hossain, Anisur Rahman and Taposh Ghosh.

SULTANS OF SYLHET
Alok Kapali, Forhad Reza, Nazmul Hossain, Mosharraf Rubel, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Ariful Haque, Zubaer Ahmed, Nazmus Sadat, Dhiman Ghosh, Amit Majumdar, Farid Uddin, Gazi Salahuddin and Rajin Saleh.

Opening Match of NCL T20 - 2010: Rangers VS Cyclone in NCL T20 opener

Rajshahi Rangers will play against Cyclone of Chittagong in the opening match of the recently launched National Cricket League Twenty20 (NCL T20) tournament on April 11 2010, according to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). On April 12, Cyclones of Chittagong will face Sultans of Sylhet , Dhaka Dynamites will play Barisal Blazers at SBNCS and Rajshahi Rangers will meet Kings of Khulna at BKSP. Fixture could be found below,