Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and all-rounder Nasir Hossain are expected to have a new experience when their franchise Nagenahira Nagas take on Ruhuna Royals in the opening match of the Sri Lankan Premier League’s inaugural edition at the Premadasa stadium today.
Apart from playing the Bangladesh Premier League the duo had not been a part of any tournament of this kind in their cricketing career and it would open the gate for them to achieve cricketing knowledge and also have a first-hand experience of the conditions before the ICC World Twenty20 begins here in September.
Sri Lanka Cricket initially drafted five Bangladeshi cricketers for the T20 tournament – Sakib al Hasan, Mushfiq, Nasir, Elias Sunny and Tamim Iqbal – but now only three of them will be participating in it, with Tamim being the other name for Wayamba Wolves.
Uthura Oryxes could not avail the service of Sakib as he was not granted a No Objection Certificate by the Bangladesh Cricket Board following a knee injury while Sunny, after being named in the list of 24 cricketers, was not included in the 18-member squad of Nagas.
However, just being included in the 18-member squad does not guarantee a place in the playing XI for Mushfiq and Nasir as four out of six overseas recruits are allowed to take field for any franchise.
BCB asked all the players to return home by August 24 to be in the camp ahead of their tour to West Indies to play an invitational tournament in Trinidad and Tobago followed by the ICC World T20.
The final of the SLPL is scheduled to be played on August 31.
-With New Age input