Shakib and Mustafizur unlikely to return for IPL 2021

Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and pacer Mustafizur Rahman are unlikely to get No Objection Certificates (NOC) from Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to play in remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in UAE as the national team will be preparing for the T20 World Cup, BCB president Nazmul Hassan said on Monday.

"It is almost impossible to provide NOC (for IPL) considering our international commitments. I don't see any chance of giving it (NOC) to them. We have the (T20) world cup coming up and now every match is important,'" Nazmul was quoted saying by Ekkator TV, a private news channel in Bangladesh.

Following the suspension of the league earlier this month due to multiple COVID-19 inside its bubble, BCCI confirmed on Saturday that the remaining 31 matches will be played in the September-October window. Shakib and Mustafizur who play Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals respectively, have returned home on May 6 and were part of the Bangladesh's ODI series against Sri Lanka recently.

Bangladesh's planned home series against Australia, England and New Zealand might clash with the dates of IPL.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had earlier confirmed that England players will not be returning for the remaining matches due to a packed schedule, while Cricket Australia (CA) said they are yet to decide on Australian players' participation.