ICC not having problems with Shakib Al Hasan's enlistment in Lanka Premier League

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is planning to host the first edition of the Lanka President League (LPL) from November 14 to December 6. The 23-day event will feature 23 matches and will be played across three venues namely Dambulla, Pallekele and Hambantota. It is expected that the launch will take place in Hambantota.

The players will go under hammer for the Lanka Premier League on October 1. All the five franchises will have a pool of around 150 players to bid for. Each franchise can buy up to six international players. That means the LPL is likely to feature 30 international cricketers and 65 local cricketers, with each squad having 19 members.

On Saturday, several international players including the likes Chris Gayle, Daren Sammy, Darren Bravo, Shahid Afridi, Ravi Bopara, Colin Munro, Vernon Philander and Munaf Patel were listed for the auction on October 1. However, the enlistment of the Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for the auction has raised some eyebrows in the cricket fraternity. 

Shakib Al Hasan has been keeping in touch with ACU: Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO 

Shakib is currently serving a ban of one year from the game of cricket, which is set to come to an end on October 28. The International Cricket Council (ICC) banned him from the game for a year and slapped another year of suspended sanction in October 2019 saying he had failed to report “corrupt approaches on numerous occasions”, which is a breach of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

However, clearing the air ICC’s Media and Communications Manager Rajshekhar Rao told bdnews24.com, “There is no problem if Shakib stays away from direct cricketing activities during the period of his ban”.

Reacting to Shakib’s enlistment in the auction for inaugural edition of LPL, Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, CEO of Bangladesh Cricket Board, said that Shakib’s matter is beyond their jurisdiction and the cricketer is constantly in touch with the Anti Corruption Unit of ICC to be aware of his restrictions. 

“Shakib has been keeping in touch with ACU (Anti-Corruption Unit of ICC). He may be communicating with them. Other players who are interested in playing the tournament have not informed us yet anything officially,” Nazim concluded.