Mustafizur Rahman PSL 11 has taken a turn after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officially revoked the No Objection Certificate (NOC) permitting the pacer to remain in the Pakistan Super League season. Lahore Qalandars first signed Mustafizur Rahman as a direct overseas selection in PSL 11. The left-arm fast bowler was likely to be a central figure in the champions defending campaign, playing in several matches before coming back to the international scene.
Rahman was to come back to the franchise according to the initial plan after Bangladesh had finished an ODI series with New Zealand national cricket team and then would be available until the first week of May. This saw him become a key element in the short-term bowling attack of Lahore Qalandars. Nevertheless, things have changed when BCB medical panel examined his condition.
The board stated that the issues with his fitness were the reason to conduct additional evaluation. This was decided by withdrawing the NOC and focusing on his recovery. Rahman will now be subjected to medical scans and there will be a well-planned rehabilitation programme that will be supervised by Bangladesh cricket. The shift underscores the wary attitude of the board in the management of the workload of players, particularly that of a key fast bowler who has in the past been affected by injury issues.
This exit is a blow to Lahore Qalandars who were looking up to his experience and change in the death overs. He will not be there and this means that the team will have to re-evaluate their bowling combinations to achieve the rest of the tournament. In a bigger picture, this ruling is an indication of the growing interest of Bangladesh in the long-term fitness of players, as opposed to franchise obligations.
