BCB Grants Central Contracts to 22 Players; Mahmudullah Declines
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Synopsis
On March 10, the Bangladesh Cricket Board awarded central contracts to 22 players for 2025. Veteran Mahmudullah opted out of the national contract beyond February 2025. Most players were part of the ICC Champions Trophy squad in Dubai and Pakistan. Key players like Litton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim were included in various contract grades.
Key Takeaways
- Bangladesh Cricket Board awarded contracts to 22 players.
- Mahmudullah opts out after February 2025.
- Mushfiqur Rahim moves to Grade B after ODI retirement.
- Contracts are divided into five categories.
- Bangladesh reached the Champions Trophy as a top ODI team.
Dhaka, March 10 (NationPress) The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially awarded central contracts for the year 2025 to 22 players this Monday. A majority of these contracted players were part of the Bangladesh squad that participated in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 held in Dubai and Pakistan. Notably, veteran all-rounder Mahmudullah has communicated to BCB Cricket Operations that he does not wish to be considered for a national contract beyond February 2025, resulting in his exclusion from the list starting in March.
Former captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who recently announced his retirement from ODIs, will transition to Grade B starting in March. Additionally, wicketkeeper Parvez Hossain Emon, who did not participate in the Champions Trophy, has been omitted from the contracts.
The contracted players include wicketkeeper Litton Das, fast bowler Hasan Mahmud, Test opener Shadman Islam, spinner Taijul Islam, and bowler Shoriful Islam, who was sidelined during the Champions Trophy due to an injury. Others on the list comprise batting all-rounder Mominul Haque, bowling all-rounder Mahedi Hasan, and bowler Khaled Ahmed.
The contracts, effective from the beginning of the year, are categorized into five groups, with pacer Taskin Ahmed being the only player in A+ category. Meanwhile, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Litton Das, and Mushfiqur Rahim are classified in the A category.
The B category includes Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, Mahmudullah (until February 2025), Mustafizur Rahman, Tawhid Hridoy, Hasan Mahmud, and Nahid Rana, while Shadman Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Jaker Ali, Tanzid Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Mahedi Hasan received C category contracts.
Nasum Ahmed and Khaled Ahmed were the recipients in the D category.
Despite exiting in the group stage of the recently concluded Champions Trophy after defeats to India and New Zealand while a match against host Pakistan was washed out, it remains a significant achievement for Bangladesh to rank among the top eight in the ODI standings, qualifying for the Champions Trophy ahead of teams like former World Cup winners Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
