BCB offers contracts to six new players

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has offered 17 players a contract including six for the first time, the BCB said at a news conference on Saturday.

Mahmudullah Riayd, Nazmul Hossain, Naeem Islam, Mahbubul Alam, Imrul Kayes and Rubel Hossain will join 11 cricketers already contracted with the BCB.

The BCB had 21 players on its payroll last year but seven unilaterally terminated their contracts to join the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and Mohammad Rafique retired from the international game.

Middle-order batsman Rajin Saleh and pace bowler Sajedul Islam have been dropped from the new list of contracted players.

Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Shakib Al Hasan, Syed Rasel, Mehrab Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Zunaed Siddique and Roqibul Hassan were offered new contracts.

The BCB announced a 30 percent pay hike for the players last month amid concern that more could ditch their contracts to join the ICL.