The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to all-rounder Shakib al Hasan and wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das, allowing them to participate in the upcoming Global Twenty20 Canada League. The league is scheduled to take place from July 20 to August 6.

Jalal Younus, the chairman of BCB’s cricket operations committee, confirmed this development to the media. He stated that both players would return well in advance of the Asia Cup, which is set to commence on August 31.

“Shakib and Liton requested the NOC to play in Canada, and the board has granted them clearance. They will be back in Dhaka by August 20 to join the national team. We will still have approximately 10 days left before the Asia Cup begins, so there are no issues; they can participate,” said Jalal.

This marks the first time that Bangladesh players will be participating in the Global T20 Canada League after being absent for the previous three editions.

Shakib will represent the Montreal Tigers, where he will be under the guidance of former Bangladesh head coach Dav Whatmore. His teammates will include Andre Russell, who is also his colleague from the Bangladesh Premier League’s Dhaka team, as well as players like Chris Lynn from Australia and Carlos Brathwaite from the West Indies.

Liton, on the other hand, will feature for the Surrey Jaguars, led by former Afghanistan and Zimbabwe head coach Lalchand Rajput. The team boasts players such as England’s explosive opener Alex Hales, Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Haris, and Australia’s tall fast bowler Jason Behrendorff.

In addition to the Global T20 Canada League, Shakib has also committed to playing in the fourth edition of the Lanka Premier League, scheduled from July 31 to August 22.

BCB director Jalal clarified that Liton would return earlier than Shakib, and that his clearance to participate in the league was given after discussions with head coach Chandika Hathurusingha and the team management. He emphasized the board’s desire for both players to gain valuable match practice before the World Cup.

Regarding concerns about potential injuries due to the hectic schedule, Jalal mentioned that both Shakib and Liton are not injury-prone players. He noted that injuries are more common among fast bowlers and assured that the players have no existing injuries. Since the Global T20 Canada League is a shorter format, the board has given them the green light to participate in the tournament.