Afif has his NOC by December 7 and is therefore eligible to play in the GSL finals. However, Soumya and Rishad’s NOC has expired and BCB has rejected Rangpur’s request for NOC extension. The franchise is trying to contact BCB president Faruque Ahmed, who is heading to New York.
With only a few hours left until the GSL finals, uncertainty reigns.
Tournament rules state that a team can field up to five international players and at least six domestic players. Rangpur said BCB may have to abandon the final if they drop three Bangladesh players.
“If they remain firm in their decision, Rangpur will have to lose their final match without even setting foot on the pitch,” a statement from Rangpur Riders said. “Such an incident will undoubtedly tarnish the reputation of Bangladesh cricket on the world stage, as it is extremely rare for a team to miss a final due to lack of players.
“Moreover, in the GSL, Rangpur not only represents itself, but the entire nation of Bangladesh. Therefore, this unfortunate incident will also be deeply disappointing for cricket fans.”
The GSL had rescheduled the final to December 7-6 a few weeks ago to avoid clashing with the Bangladesh-West Indies ODI series. Rangpur is without Khushdil Shah, whose NOC from PCB has already been exhausted. He played three of Rangpur’s four matches. Meanwhile, Matthew Forde missed the tournament due to injury.
