 "Mustafizur Rahman became the most expensive Bangladeshi player ever in the recent IPL auction, only to get released less than a month later. Reuters")
A month after his release from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was picked up by Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalandars for PKR 6.44 crore (USD 230,000/ INR 2.07 crore).
Mustafizur had been acquired by KKR for Rs 9.2 crore (USD 1.01 million) during the Indian Premier League auction that had taken place in Abu Dhabi in December, becoming the most expensive Bangladeshi player in the league’s history. He would, however, get released by the three-time champions less than a month later, reportedly on the advice of the Board of Control for Cricket in India .
And on Thursday, the left-arm quick returned to the franchise, currently the defending champions, that he had represented in two previous PSL seasons. While ‘Fizz’ had failed to make a single appearance in 2016 due to a shoulder injury, he collected four wickets in five matches two years later, at an economy of 6.43.
“Once a Qalandar, always a Qalandar. Mustafizur is not just a player; he’s a brother, a key part of our family who never left. We are thrilled to welcome him back to our dressing room. His talent, experience, and dedication will be invaluable as we aim to defend our title and make a statement in PSL 11,” Lahore Qalandars owner Sameen Rana was quoted by ESPNCricinfo as saying.
The signing was met with mixed reactions on social media. While some viewed it as a “big blow to the IPL”, others chose to view it from the lengs of a pay cut.
Quick Reads
View AllMustafizur becomes the fourth player after Steven Smith (Sialkot Stallionz), Devon Conway (Islamabad United) and Moeen Ali (Karachi Kings) to join a PSL franchise as a direct signing ahead of the first-ever player auction, which takes place on 11 February.
How Mustafizur’s release from KKR snowballed into a major controversy
His controversial release from KKR , meanwhile, has snowballed into one of the biggest controversies witnessed in cricket in recent years, with Bangladesh refusing to send their team to India for the T20 World Cup in retaliation, though they officially cited security concern as the reason.
The ICC ultimately ejected Bangladesh from the tournament and replaced them with Scotland after the Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to budge from its India-boycott, having been advised to do so by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Dhaka.
That, in, turn would lead to a protest from the Pakistan Cricket Board, who threatened to boycott the T20 World Cup in protest against Bangladesh’s ouster. While the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistani government later allowed the team to travel to Sri Lanka for the World Cup, they announced a boycott of their Group A clash against India that will be taking place in Colombo on 15 February.