Shakib Al Hasan not to get NOC to play remainder of IPL 2021

Shakib Al Hasan will not get a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the BCB to take part in the remainder of IPL 2021 for the Kolkata Knight Riders, most likely in September-October this year. Board president Nazmul Hassan has pointed to Bangladesh's busy international schedule in that period in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in India in October-November, but could well be shifted to the UAE keeping in mind the Covid-19 situation in India.

"Given our schedule, it is almost impossible (for Shakib) to get the NOC. I don't see any possibilities, nor any opportunity. The World Cup is coming up, which makes every game important for us," Hassan told Ekattor TV on Sunday.

Mustafizur Rahman, the only other Bangladeshi in the IPL - for the Rajasthan Royals - is also unlikely to get an NOC, given his importance in Bangladesh's white-ball plans.

After touring Zimbabwe for a Test, three ODIs and three T20Is in June-July, Bangladesh will take on Australia in five T20Is at home in July-August, and both New Zealand (three T20Is) and England (three ODIs and three T20Is) are expected to tour Bangladesh after that for white-ball matches in the lead up to the World Cup.

Akram Khan, BCB's cricket operations chairman, stressed that keeping in mind all these matches, especially the England series - where the ODIs will be a part of the World Cup Super League - it was important for all the players to train and play together. "We have to consider the team training together," he said. "We want to go into the England series with full strength. Both the ODI Super League and the World Cup T20 are important to us."

Shakib was involved in a tussle with the BCB in March after he accused the board of "misrepresenting" his letter requesting an NOC to play in the IPL. In response, the BCB threatened to revoke his NOC, but ended up granting it. Shakib had missed the New Zealand tour in March this year because of a thigh injury and later opted out of the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka to play in the IPL. He has since skipped the PSL, opting to play in the Dhaka Premier League T20s instead.