Mustafizur’s ILT20 appearance hinges on BPL schedule

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was roped in as a direct signing by International League T20 (ILT20) franchise Dubai Capitals but his maiden participation in the tournament remains uncertain as the tournament's schedule clashes with the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

The fourth edition of the ILT20 is set to be played in the December-January window, same as BPL. Although the dates are not official, sources from the ILT20 league informed that the league is set to start in December 2 and end on January 4.

BPL dates are yet to be announced.

"If the BPL begins at a later date, his [Mustafizur's] chances of appearing in the ILT20 will increase. But if it clashes [with BPL], he would not be able to play," a BCB official said.

This time, the BPL is expected to be a six-team tournament, cutting down one team, making it a shorter tournament than usual. If the tournament begins in late December, BCB sources expect that Mustafizur would get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play the initial part of ILT20.

The Daily Star reached out to a source who manages Mustafizur and asked whether BPL beginning late in December would allow the left-arm pacer to feature in ILT20.

"When the deal was made, BPL's dates were not finalised. We can't be certain about his chances of appearing in ILT20 [even if BPL starts in late December] until BPL schedules are finalised," the source said.