Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) football champions Bashundhara Kings completed their quota of four foreign booters for the ensuing football season (2020-21), confirming the signing of Iranian defender Khaled Shafiei in Asian quota.

The Kings already confirmed a deal with the 33-year-old Iranian defender Shafiei, but his official signing with the club will be held after his arrival in Dhaka, likely in the first week of October as the club’s 4th and last foreign player for the coming season.

Shafiei, who played in the Persian League for Sepahan FC and FC Seoul in the South Korean K-League, will be the replacement of Kings Argentine defender Nicholas Delmonte.  

Earlier, Bashundhara Kings, recruited three forwards--Brazilians Robson Azevedo da Silva, Jonathan da Silveria Fernandes Reis and Argentine Hernan Barcos--and brought the trio in the capital on Sept 10 to join training camp for AFC Cup as well as for the ensuing football season, but the cancellation of the AFC Cup on the same day dealt a blow to them.

The country’s new domestic football season is likely to begin with the Federation Cup Football in the first week of December after completing the necessary registration formalities in October-November next.

Most of the club representatives, which earlier agreed to play the ensuing season (2020-21) without any foreign footballer, finally changed their stance in the last meeting and opined for allowing maximum four foreign booters for a team including one from Asia and all the four foreign footballers will be entitled to play in a match for the team. 

In the last season (2019-20), all the participating teams were entitled to recruit maximum five foreign players and four of them were allowed to play in a match.

Former national footballer KM Nowsheruzzaman, also a member of Swadhin Bangla Football team, is on life support at a city hospital with Corona Virus (Covid-19)

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is testing all the members of the national team several times for Covid-19 ahead of the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. In the second round of tests, all 18 cricketers who gave their samples returned negative, BCB confirmed on Saturday.

Other nine members of the national team gave their sample on Saturday, and they are expecting their result on Sunday.

“18 members who gave their sample on Friday are negative. Other nine members of the national team, who were out of Dhaka, gave their on Saturday and will get their result on Sunday. Of them, whoever returns negative will join the team to check-in at the hotel for the residential camp,” Debashis Chowdhury, the chief physician of BCB, told UNB.

Meanwhile, BCB announces a 27-member squad for skill training on Saturday. They will join a week-long camp starting from Sunday. This squad will be trimmed later before flying for the island nation.

The series, however, is still uncertain as the health department of Sri Lanka is yet to say yes due to the Covid-19 restriction. But BCB is hopeful of a positive response from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) within the next few days.

Also read: Sri Lanka Tour: BCB calls up 27 for skill training camp

Ahead of the proposed Sri Lanka tour for three Tests, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday evening announced a 27-member squad for a skill training camp starting on Sunday.

The training camp will kickoff on Sunday and continue to September 27 at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. During the period, this squad will stay in the hotel which will be bio-secured.

As per the current schedule, the Bangladesh team will fly for Sri Lanka on September 27. However, this series is still in jeopardy due to the Covid-19 restrictions proposed by the Sri Lanka government.

Everyone who enters Sri Lanka is required to undergo a 14-day strict quarantine. Sri Lanka health department took this measure aiming to stop the potential spread of the deadly coronavirus. BCB, however, urged for a shorter quarantine period, but the Sri Lanka health department has refused it.

Nizamuddin Chowdury, the CEO of BCB, on Saturday, said Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had a positive discussion with the health department, and they are hopeful about the tour in time.

“We have told them what we need on the tour. After that, we have no discussion with them till the date. But we are hoping that the tour will go in time, and we will get their official confirmation within a few days,” Nizamuddin told the media.

“We can’t say what they actually discussed about because we didn’t get their official confirmation. But SLC told us that they had a fruitful and positive discussion with the health department. Before coming to know the official outcome, we are unable to disclose more,” he added.

Bangladesh asked SLC to arrange the initial camp in Dambulla. But SLC is yet to finalize this. BCB CEO hopes it’ll be not a problem once the health protocol is confirmed.

“We have discussed Dambulla. From a few options, we have preferred to stage our initial camp in this city. But it is yet to be confirmed. I hope once the health protocol is confirmed, it’ll not be a problem,” Nizamuddin further told the media.

Meanwhile, Craig McMillan, who was appointed as Bangladesh’s batting coach for the Sri Lanka tour, will not join the team following the demise of his father. Daniel Vettori, the spin bowling coach, is also doubtful for this series, while the other members of the coaching staff are all set to join the camp.

Squad for skill training: Mominul Haque, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Shadman Islam, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Md Mithun, Soumya Sarkar, Taijul Islam, Al Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Imrul Kayes, Taskin Ahmed, Nurul Hossain Sohan, Shafiul Islam, Yasir Ali, Nayeem Hasan, Abu Jayed Rahi, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Musaddek Hossain Saikat, Hasan Mahmud, Mohammad Saifuddin and Saif Hassan

Also read: BCB awaits Sri Lanka’s response

Former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan, who had been appointed Bangladesh batting consultant for the Tour of Sri Lanka 2020, has informed the BCB that he is unable to join the Bangladesh team  due to a loss in the family. 

BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury on Saturday said: “Craig has communicated to us that his father has passed away recently and therefore it would not be possible for him to take up the batting consultant’s position of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team for the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka at this moment.

Also read: Craig McMillan now Bangladesh’s batting consultant

"We fully understand his situation. Our sympathies are with Craig and his family during this difficult time.”.he added.

Meanwhile, the ensuing tour of Bangladesh Cricket team to Sri Lanka to play a three-match Test Series, has become uncertain due to mandatory 14-day quarantine in the Island nation,, imposed by Sri Lankan Health authority .