SPORTS REPORTER

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in the process of finalising its central contracts, but doubts remain over whether any player will be retained in the A-plus category this time -- particularly Taskin Ahmed, who has not played Test cricket for some time despite previously being an all-format fast bowler.

Taskin last featured in a Test in Kingston, West Indies, in November 2024. He missed three Test series thereafter: the home series against Zimbabwe in April last year, the away Tests against Sri Lanka in June, and the series against Ireland in November.

In fact, Taskin’s red-ball future remains uncertain, as he did not play any Tests last year, with any potential return dependent on further medical assessments due to his injury history.

“We have spoken to Taskin and asked him to rethink his longer-format commitments. His doctors in England had a similar assessment,” BCB chief physician Debashish Chowdhury told The Daily Star.

“He has not been given a specific timeframe for a return to the longer version. When he feels ready, he will play, but for now, he has been advised not to.

“If he can play the shorter versions seamlessly, then we will think about his Test commitments. We have a five-day tournament and then the BCL [Bangladesh Cricket League], so we will see. He wants to play all formats, but we have to see whether his body allows it. He has had Achilles issues, as well as knee and shoulder problems, so it’s not just workload -- we have to focus on injuries.”

Bangladesh named 22 players in central contract list last year. Board sources claim that six players are set to be added this time, taking the total to 27. Mahmudullah Riyad will not be part of the list, having already retired from all formats.

Whether Shakib Al Hasan features in the contracts will depend on discussions between the player and senior BCB officials. One official claimed that the selectors did not propose Shakib’s name to the board, although the current delay is believed to be linked to ongoing talks regarding his status.

There have been suggestions that the A-plus category may be scrapped altogether, but BCB officials have clarified that the category will remain.

“We are working on it and will announce it shortly. We have categories A-plus, A, B, C, D and a non-contract category. If no one is placed in A-plus, it doesn’t mean the category is abolished,” an official close to the development said.

“If the selectors and the board feel there are no A-plus category players, they simply won’t name anyone there.”

Pakistan Cricket Board last year did not retain any player in the A-plus category. Meanwhile, reports suggest Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering doing away with the category altogether after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped away from Tests and T20Is.

With Taskin the only three-format player last year, it remains to be seen whether BCB adopts a similar stance to PCB and BCCI.