Mushfiqur, Shakib, Mustafizur, Tamim among top picks in Bangabandhu T20 Cup draft
Beximco Dhaka have picked Mushfiqur Rahim as the first player in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup's draft being held in Dhaka on Thursday. Shakib Al Hasan will play for Gemcon Khulna, while Gazi Group Chattogram and Fortune Barisal picked Mustafizur Rahman and Tamim Iqbal, respectively. All four players are in Grade A, which will fetch them BDT 15 lakh (US $17,700 approx) each.
Minister Rajshahi didn't pick anyone from Grade A, opting for allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin from Grade B as their first pick. Khulna have also picked batsmen Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque and Ariful Haque, and pace bowler Shafiul Islam and left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam. Rajshahi have also banked on young batsmen Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made a century in the previous season of the BPL, and allrounder Mahedi Hasan who impressed during the BCB President's Cup.
Players in category B will be paid BDT 1 million (US $11,800 approx), category C will get BDT 600,000 (US $7,100 approx) and category D to get BDT 400,000 (US $4,720 approx).
Chattogram, who had coach Mohammad Salahuddin at their draft table, picked batsmen Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar and Mosaddek Hossain, in addition to left-arm spinners Taijul Islam and Rakibul Hasan, and offspinner Sanjit Saha, who will complement Rahman in the bowling attack.
Iqbal, meanwhile, will have Saif Hassan, Irfan Sukkur, Parvez Hossain Emon and Mahidul Islam in the Barisal batting line-up, while pace bowler Sumon Khan, who was named Player of the match for his five-for in the President's Cup final last month, will likely be sharing the new ball with Taskin Ahmed.
Dhaka picked opener Mohammad Naim and middle-order batsmen Yasir Ali and Sabbir Rahman to complement Rahim. Rubel Hossain, who showed fine form in the President's Cup, will have left-arm quicks Mehedi Hasan Rana and Abu Hider for company.
Among Bangladesh's 2020 Under-19 World Cup-winning players, Akbar Ali, Tanzid Hasan and Shahadat Hossain were picked by Dhaka, while Khulna took Shamim Hossain. Chattogram picked Shoriful Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Rakibul Hasan while Barisal included Parvez Hossain Emon.
This will be the second tournament of the 2020-21 season, and the second attempt by the BCB to hold a complete tournament within a biobubble environment. Five companies have paid BDT 2 crore (US $236,000 approx) each to buy the teams. The BCB held fitness tests for 113 players (outside the national and High Performance camps) to determine the list of players in the draft.
Beximco Dhaka: Mushfiqur Rahim, Rubel Hossain, Tanzid Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Naim, Nayeem Hasan, Shahadat Hossain, Akbar Ali, Yasir Ali, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan Rana, Muktar Ali, Shafiqul Islam, Abu Hider, Pinak Ghosh, Robiul Islam Robi
Gemcon Khulna: Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Imrul Kayes, Hasan Mahmud, Al Amin Hossain, Anamul Haque, Shamim Hossain, Ariful Haque, Shafiul Islam, Shuvagata Hom, Shahidul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Zakir Hasan, Nazmul Islam, Salman Hossain, Jahurul Islam
Minister Rajshahi: Mohammad Saifuddin, Mahedi Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Nurul Hasan, Farhad Reza, Mohammad Ashraful, Arafat Sunny, Ebadat Hossain, Fazle Mahmud, Rony Talukdar, Anisul Emon, Rezaur Rahman, Jaker Ali, Raqibul Hasan, Mukidul Islam, Sunzamul Islam
Gazi Group Chattogram: Mustafizur Rahman, Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Shariful Islam, Ziaur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Shamsur Rahman, Nahidul Islam, Shykat Ali, Mominul Haque, Rakibul Hasan, Sanjit Saha, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mehadi Hasan
Fortune Barisal: Tamim Iqbal, Afif Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Irfan Sukkur, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Abu Jayed, Tanvir Islam, Sumon Khan, Saif Hassan, Aminul Islam, Mahidul Islam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Abu Sayem, Sohrawordi Shuvo