As per reports in Cricbuzz, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman is ready to skip IPL 2021 for national commitments. The Bangladesh Cricket Board was ready to give him a NOC to play in the tournament is he would apply for it. The BCB recently gave a NOC to all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan who was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the next season. Meanwhile, Mustafizur was roped in by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the next season. 

Mustafizur, however, said that he is not ready to skip the Test series against Sri Lanka at the expense of IPL. “I will do what BCB asks me to do. If they keep me in Test squad (for the tour of Sri Lanka) then I will play Tests and if they (BCB) don’t keep me in Test then they know what I should do,” Mustafizur told reporters ahead of leaving the country for New Zealand on Tuesday (February 23).

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Meanwhile, the BCB has expressed their disappointment over Shakib prioritizing IPL over national commitments. Board President Nazmul Hasan even suggested that the board will make contracts in a way to ensure that players define beforehand where their priorities lie.

Mustafizur Rahman Ready To Skip IPL 2021

“My first priority is to play for my country and if I am picked in the Test series against Sri Lanka, I will naturally play. If I am not picked then BCB will tell me that I am not included. At that point, if I am given NOC to play in the IPL then I will play but patriotism comes first for me” Mustafizur further said. 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh was supposed to play a Test series against Sri Lanka but it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the series is being planned in April to keep up with the ICC’s extended World Test Championship (WTC) deadline. 

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