The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Tuesday that it has denied fast bowler Shoriful Islam a No Objection Certificate (NOC) required to join Kent for the County Championship. Officials stated the decision was made to manage the player’s physical workload ahead of a demanding international schedule, which includes five Tests, seven T20s, and six ODIs over the next three months.
Shahriar Nafees, the board’s cricket operation in-charge, explained that the decision stems from concerns regarding Shoriful’s recent recovery from a hamstring injury. Given that he is an all-format player, the board believes the physical strain of participating in four county matches could jeopardize his availability for the national team. Consequently, team management and the medical department have prioritized a structured training regimen over competitive play to ensure he remains fully fit for upcoming assignments.
While Shoriful was initially expected to join the Kent dressing room, the board opted to intervene to mitigate injury risks. However, the BCB has granted an NOC to fellow pacer Khaled Ahmed for the same county side. Nafees noted that this approval was granted because Khaled is currently fully fit and has not participated in a high volume of matches in the recent past, making him a suitable candidate for the stint. The report also notes that understand Shoriful was set to follow Hasan Mahmud in the Kent dressing room to take part in the county but the board decided not to release him as they felt it would have put him at risk as far as his international commitment is concerned.
