NCL one-day final today
Dhaka were eying to play national opener Tamim Iqbal in the National Cricket League one-day version final against Barisal, scheduled to be held today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Tamim was looking for an opportunity to have some match practice ahead of the five match one-day series against Zimbabwe as he did not play any game since he underwent a wrist operation in Australia.
Dhaka offered him the opportunity and their opposition in the final Barisal also did not raise any objection, but the rules of the tournament stood as a stumbling block for the left-hander.
Since he is a registered player of Chittagong, he is needed to get a no-objection certificate from them to play for Dhaka. Ali Hossain, the manager of Dhaka, said Chittagong gave them verbal assurance of an NOC, but no official words came from them when this report was filed.
Sources at the Bangladesh Cricket Board said Chittagong were hesitating to give him the NOC as it will debar him from playing for them in the first-class edition of the tournament as well.
‘If Chittagong give the NOC, Tamim will officially become a Dhaka player and he will also have to play for Dhaka in the four-day version,’ Hafizur Rahman, the secretary of BCB’s tournament committee, explained the NCL rule.
‘We will wait for the NOC until Sunday morning. Even if it comes in the morning we will allow him to play for Dhaka,’ he said.
Tamim was very keen to play the game.
‘Naturally you have to consider national interest first. I am out of match practice for a long time, so I
need to play this game,’ said Tamim.
Barisal skipper Shahriar Nafees also did not have any problem with that.
‘It can be a blessing in disguise for us as it will break their winning combination,’ Shahriar told reporters.
‘We will also allow him to play considering the national interest,’ Shahriar said.
Barisal, Dhaka and Rajshahi finished on equal 10 points at the end of first two phases. However, Barisal and Dhaka qualified for the final for a better head to head record.
Dhaka defeated Barisal on both occasions they met in this season, which give them some psychological advantage over the defending champions. But skipper Mohammad Ashraful ruled out any kind of complacency.
‘It’s true that they do not have too many star players. But they are a very capable unit and can upset any side,’ Ashraful said.
‘Fazle Rabbi is an attacking opener, and their opening bowler Kamrul Islam also gives them early breakthroughs and we have to keep an especial eye on them,’ said Ashraful.
Ashraful, who showed a rare consistency in this tournament making 319 at 79.75, the second highest total after Rabbi, will lead the charge for Dhaka in their quest for a third one-day trophy.
Since the introduction of one-day version in 2001-2002, third edition of the NCL, Dhaka won the tournament twice, while Barisal ended their long wait for a silverware by lifting the trophy last season.
Barisal, however, would also miss the services of batsman Nasiruddin Faruk, who has been suspended for the final by the disciplinary committee for using abusive language against the umpires in Friday’s second phase match against Dhaka.
The champions will receive Tk 5 lakh while the runners-up will pocket Tk 2.5 lakh. The player of the tournament will get Tk 50,000 while the man of the final will receive Tk 8,000.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board said the final will be on despite the strike called by the opposition political party.
