Sabbir Rahman’s recall to the Bangladesh ODI squad, three weeks before the scheduled end of his six-month suspension for abusing a fan on social media, was down to a simple miscommunication, according to Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan.
“I asked about his suspension when I was about to sign off on the [squad] list. They told me that his suspension is over. Maybe they mis-spoke, but I didn’t ask them,” Hassan said.
Sabbir’s suspension was recommended by the BCB’s disciplinary committee on September 1 and the earliest it could end is February 28, more than a week after the ODI series against New Zealand will have finished.
The 27-year-old all-rounder has already missed the Asia Cup and Bangladesh’s home series against Zimbabwe and the West Indies, with this latest ban coming just two months after Sabbir returned from another six-month suspension and the loss of his BCB central contract for physically assaulting a fan during a first-class match in December 2017.
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Sabbir Rahman was suspended for comments on social media[/caption]
ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaze denied suggestions last week from Bangladesh’s chief selector Minhajul Abedin that Sabbir’s selection was “totally the captain’s choice”, telling reporters that he simply “suggested” Sabbir rather being as “insistent” about him as Abedin had indicated.
President Hassan believes both Mortaze and head coach Steve Rhodes are planning to select Sabbir for the upcoming World Cup in England. “I have been completely off from involving myself in team and squad matters in the last three months,” he said. “I am not interfering at all. I think the captain and coach wanted Sabbir in the squad. They have been saying that if he does well, he could have a chance to play in the World Cup.”
However, despite Bangladesh having World Cup plans for Sabbir, Hassan is reluctant to end the player’s suspension early and suggested that the right-hander is on his final warning.
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“I have had to field a lot of requests to bring him back. We usually don’t heed such requests. But usually people tend to believe that he has perhaps changed for the better. This is his last chance. If he does the same thing again, he will get a life ban. I felt that maybe he would have done better had he taken more time to return. Now it is very risky for him. A small mistake can destroy his career.”
