Leading all-rounder Sakib al Hasan was snubbed by at least four teams before being picked by lowly Kalabagan Krira Chakra in a surprise Dhaka Premier League player transfers held at a city hotel on Sunday.
Sakib was expected to be the apple cart in the newly-introduced complicated transfer system that saw a club team’s pecking order being decided through a lottery in each round.
The process began with A+ category where there were four players – Sakib, Tamim Iqbal, Nasir Hossain and national captain Mushfiqur Rahim. Two clubs – Khelaghar KC and Cricket Coaching School – decided against bidding for A+ category cricketers, keeping the fight limited to 10 clubs.
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club won the bragging right to call first and without any hesitation they went for Mushfiq, the man who hit three centuries for them in the previous season.
After Jamal it was the turn for holders Victoria Sporting Club, who chose Nasir Hossain, Brothers Union came third to pick Tamim, leaving Sakib unpicked.
Then it was the turn for Abahani Limited, who surprisingly said ‘pass’ paving the way for Kalabagan to land the country’s most precious cricketer.
-With New Age input
