Kalabagan Krira Chakra wasted little time in finding out Sakib al Hasan’s frame of mind after they landed the prized all-rounder for their club in the surprise Dhaka Premier League players’ transfer on Sunday. ‘I just called Sakib in London and he seemed perfectly alright,’ club official Reaz Ahmed Babu said during a break in the closed-door transfer proceedings. ‘He promised to give one hundred percent.’
Kalabagan, who fought to stave off relegation in the previous season, would not have had the budget or the desire to pick up a player of Sakib’s calibre under normal circumstances, but once the transfer process came down to a lottery, they found themselves heavily favored by fortune.
After at least four clubs snubbed Sakib, Kalabagan did not hesitate to select him for the season.
Sakib’s apparent lack of respect for local club cricket officials led to the lack of interest in him among the top clubs. His feelings about playing for a Kalabagan club that does not have very good reputation were, therefore, questioned in the immediate aftermath of the selection.
Kalabagan’s small budget and lack of ambition could also have made Sakib, rated as the top all-rounder in the world in 50-over cricket, less enthusiastic about joining their set-up.
Sakib is also often accused of not taking the DPL seriously compared to other competitions. He has also criticized club officials on several occasions for interfering in dressing-room affairs, something which is common in local cricket and rampant at Kalabagan.
Kalabagan officials promised, however, that he would not face any such problems at the club.
‘I think he will certainly enjoy his time with us,’ said Nazmul Karim Tinko, a member of the Kalabagan cricket committee. ‘We are confident that we can satisfy his requirements. I can assure him that he will not have any reason to complain about any interference from our officials,’ he added.
Bangladesh Cricket Board officials confirmed that Sakib has no choice but to play for the club, even if he does not like it.
‘We have 120 cricketers under contract, and they have an obligation to play for the club they are assigned to,’ said BCB member Mahbub Anam, who acted as commissioner during the transfer. ‘The same rule applies to Sakib as all the other players.’
-With New Age input
