Bangladesh board releases contracted players' list

Mahmudullah has become a contracted player after only playing one ODI and four Twenty20 internationals © AFP

The Bangladesh board has announced a list of 22 contracted players, with newcomers Mahmudullah and Junaid Siddique being added to the roster.

According to a report in the Daily Star, a Dhaka-based daily, the duration of the contract has been shortened from one year to six months for Mohammad Rafique, Khaled Mashud, Javed Omar, Shahriar Nafees and Rajin Saleh. The board reduced the timeframe of the contracts for some players as it has decided to go in for a performance-based system while maintaining the same salaries.

Meanwhile, Shahadat Hossain, Abdur Razzaq and Mushfiqur Rahim have been handed one-year contracts valid from December 1 2007 to November 30 2008, along with captain Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza, Habibul Bashar and Aftab Ahmed.

Tamim Iqbal, the left-hand opening batsman, still remains in the lowest grade - Grade C - but has had his contract upgraded to a one-year tenure.

The players have been graded according to the number of matches (including Tests and ODIs) they have played. 'Grade A plus' players must have played 100 matches or more, 'Grade A' - more then 70 matches, 'Grade B' - more than 40 matches, and 'Grade C' - fewer than 40 games.

Meanwhile, the board is expected to reward players who have done well in the ongoing National Cricket League by adding them to their payrolls.

Grade A plus
Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza, Habibul Bashar, Khaled Mashud, Javed Omar, Mohammad Rafique

Grade A
Aftab Ahmed, Shahriar Nafees, Rajin Saleh

Grade B
Tushar Imran, Shahadat Hossain, Abdur Razzaq, Syed Rasel, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim

Grade C
Tamim Iqbal, Farhad Reza, Mehrab Hossain, Enamul Haque, Nazmul Hussain, Mahmudullah Riyad, Junaid Siddique