IPL 2021: BCB ready to give NOC to Shakib & Mustafizur for second leg

The franchises are getting immense clarity around availability of overseas players for the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, scheduled to start on September 19. The postponement of the bilateral series between England and Bangladesh has cleared things to a large extent now. BCCI has already confirmed England players’ participation and even the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has done the same.

Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman are the only two players from Bangladesh who are featuring in the IPL this season. However, the BCB had earlier said that the duo will not be allowed to play in the rescheduled second leg. The board expected them to be available for the national team ahead of the T20 World Cup starting from October 17 in the UAE and Oman.

But with England’s tour of Bangladesh postponed, Shakib and Mustafizur both now have chance to play in the remaining 31 matches of IPL, also to be played in the UAE.

BCB yet to receive any official letter from Shakib and Mustafizur

BCB’s cricket operation chairman Akram Khan confirmed on Tuesday while speaking to Cricbuzz that the board is yet to receive any official letter from the two players to feature in the IPL. But he also said that the BCB will give them NOC to play in the league if they request.

“Yes, if they apply and if we don’t have any international commitment they can go and take part in IPL. We are yet to receive any official letter from them in this regard and if we get that, board will take a decision,” Akram said. Meanwhile, the postponement of the Bangladesh tour has also allowed England’s players to take part in the T20 extravaganza. Both the teams will now face each other in a bilateral series in March 2023.

As far as the IPL is concerned, the tournament will end on October 15, only two days before the T20 World Cup. The first round of the mega event will commence on October 17 while the Super 12 is likely to get underway on October 23.