The 19th National Cricket League will get underway today with four matches of two tiers in four different cities and towns across the country.
Defending champions Khulna will host newly-promoted Rangpur at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna one top-tier while runners-up Dhaka will take on Barisal at Sheikh Kamal International Stadium on Cox’s Bazar in the other match of upper-ladder.
One of the highlights of the opening round will the return of national one-day international skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza with white shirt for Khulna, having last played a first-class game in January 2014.
It will be only his fifth first-class match in eight years since hobbled off the field after injuring his knee during a Test match against West Indies in Saint Vincent.
Dhaka Metropolitan side will take on Chittagong at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong while Rajshahi will host Sylhet at the Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium at Rajshahi in two second tier matches.
The selectors have announced a 14-member side for each of the eight participating team with Mohammad Ashraful and Shahadat Hossain retaining their place respectively in Dhaka Metropolitan and Dhaka divisional sides among others.
With the national players set to miss out a significant part of the tournament for their visit in South Africa the tournament was expected to provide the fringe players to make their case stronger for a future call up.
-With New Age input
