Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) recently announced a 24-member list of centrally-contracted cricketers for the 2021 season. BCB introduced a new, format-specific contract system for this year, but that didn’t feature skilful bowler Mustafizur Rahman for the Test format.
Despite being a regular member of Bangladesh cricket, Mustafizur wasn’t given the Test contract. Only five players – Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam – were given all-format contracts.
But, it has been revealed that the left-arm pacer wasn’t included in the Test contract list after Mustafizur informed the apex cricket board bout his unavailability for Tests due to increased time spent in bio bubbles.
Currently, the 25-year-old is playing in the ongoing home T20I series against New Zealand and is soon expected to move to another bubble for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 which is set to resume in September. The speedster will then enter another bubble for his national team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021.
BCB cricket operations chairman Akram Khan spoke to reporters about the development surrounding Mustafizur’s Test contract, stating the left-armer is not interested in the red-ball format as it is difficult for him to concentrate on Tests due to bio bubble.
”Mustafizur is not interested to take part in Tests at the moment. He told us that it is difficult for him to concentrate on Tests, playing it under bio-bubble, and so he does not want to take part in Tests at the moment. We have taken that decision very positively and have discussed it and accepted his request because he is a very important player in the white-ball format,” said Akram as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Akram also explained the introduction for a new format-wise contract system because of players like Nasum Ahmed and Shamim Hossain, who are only a part of the T20I squad and not ODIs or Tests.
”We have introduced format-wise contract because there are cricketers like Nasum and Shamim who are only part of T20s. Earlier if it was the white ball that implied ODIs and T20s, but now a new group is coming up who are playing only in T20s,” Akram added.
