Shakib placed in highest category in PSL draft

Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was placed in the Platinum category, the highest category for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) draft which is scheduled to be held on December 14.

The tournament will be held from February 13 to March 3, next year, according to the Pakistan media.

A total of 493 foreign players were put in six categories for the draft, amongst which 28 players are from Bangladesh. But Shakib is the only Bangladeshi player to be put in Platinum category with base price of US$ 1.30 lakh (1.50 crore BDT approximately).

The likes of Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed were placed in Diamond category with base price of US$ 60,000 (BDT 66 lakh approximately). But the names of other Bangladeshi players who are placed in Gold, Silver, Emerging and Supplementary category were not published.

Shakib had played in PSL in the last three seasons. In the last seasons, he played for Peshwar Zalmi after his BPL team Fortune Barishal were eliminated from the Eliminator game. Shakib will play in Rangpur Riders this year.

Like the previous years, the PSL will coincide with BPL too as Bangladesh's T20 league is running till February 19. It means Shakib would miss a few matches of PSL initially as his BPL team Rangpur move into the playoffs.

Shakib is expected to be fit ahead of the BPL, recovering from his finger injury, sustained during the World Cup.

But as he got the nomination from Magura-1 constituency from the ruling party Awami League for the upcoming 12th parliamentary election, it is to see when he returns to cricket.

The BPL is set to start after the election, according to the BPL governing body.

After BPL, Bangladesh will play a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home. Since the series is the part of World Test Championship, Shakib is expected to play. So his participation in PSL may be delayed.

Source: BSS