A major last-minute change has disrupted the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League after a Pakistani cricketer has reportedly backed out of the tournament despite being cleared by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, who had been set to represent Chattogram Royals in the new BPL season has decided to withdraw, just days before the start of the tournament.
Losing Abrar is particularly tough for Chattogram, who were relying on his control and wicket-taking ability in the middle overs. His exit leaves the franchise short of a specialist spinner and forces management to look for an immediate replacement.
Abrar had already received an NOC from PCB, which makes the sudden decision even more unexpected. No official reason has been provided by either the team, the board or the player yet.
Pakistan’s international calendar has also tightened, with the national side scheduled for a T20I assignment in early January as part of its preparation phase. That overlap has created uncertainty about the availability of several centrally involved players for the entire BPL window.
Overall, 16 Pakistani cricketers were picked up by the franchises to play in the tournament. It will be interesting to see if any more Pakistani cricketers withdraw from the tournament.
The 12th edition of the BPL is set to commence on 26 December with Saim Ayub’s Sylhet Strikers taking on Sahibzada Farhan’s Rajshahi Warriors.
