BCB President Nazmul Hasan: ‘May increase central contract list’

The BCB had earlier axed the likes of Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Imrul Kayes, Taskin Ahmed and Sabbir Rahman from the coveted list of 10 centrally contracted players.

Nazmul Hassan (Above) named Mosaddek Hossain and wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das among the players who could make a comeback into the fold. (File Photo)

Hot on the heels of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) slashing the number of centrally contracted cricketers, its president, Nazmul Hasan, said, on Thursday, that the gates are open for as many as 50 players to come under the umbrella, “purely based on performance”.

“We have broadened the contract system. There won’t be any fixed number of players in the central contract list. It will be on the basis of performance. Whoever will do well, will be included in the central contract. It was 16 in 2017, but now it could be 50. It’s open, but now it depends purely on performance,” Hassan said, in an interaction, on the sidelines of the five-day ICC quarterly meeting, here.

The BCB had earlier axed the likes of Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Imrul Kayes, Taskin Ahmed and Sabbir Rahman from the coveted list of 10 centrally contracted players.

This was done after Bangladesh’s average performance in 2017, compared to the relative highs of 2015 and 2016. The unchanged salary, too, indicated how much the board rated their performance.

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Apart from the five senior players, the BCB included Taijul Islam, Mominul Haque, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain and Mehidy Hasan among the contracted cricketers for 2018.

Hassan had said then that three more players will be included by the board, later. Asked whether there is an update, he named Mosaddek and wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das among the players who could make a comeback into the fold. “Some of the players like Mosaddek and Liton Das have been doing well and could be included in the list,” he revealed.

Soumya was perhaps the most significant name cut from 2018’s salary list. He started 2017 with a string of Test 50s, but in the year’s marquee event — the ICC Champions Trophy — he averaged just 8.50 in four matches.

He was poor against Australia at home and in South Africa, being subsequently dropped for Tests and ODIs against Sri Lanka, earlier, in 2018. He retained his T20 spot, though he averaged just 10.00 in the Nidahas Trophy.