A hat-trick and a hundred for Bangladesh in the same Test match against New Zealand, and just a year later Sohag Gazi could not find a club in the Dhaka Premier League along with left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny who was apparently the highest wicket taker in the previous season playing for the champion side.
The two-day transfer window for the BCB selected 23 national pool cricketers closed on Monday where 21 cricketers committed for various clubs, except Gazi and Sunny.
Gazi’s rise to the top was nothing short of a fairy tale. A perfect season for Barisal in the National Cricket League 2011/12 saw him become the first off-spinner to top the wicket takers’ chart, followed by equally fabulous performance for the BCB Academy side which ultimately helped Gazi to make his international debut in 2012 across all three formats of cricket.
However, it is the 23-year old’s off the field body language and attitude which have caused his downfall so soon, thought most club officials.
Gazi bought a DPL transfer token off his own money on Monday and complained, “How can you play if a club offers you so little money?” It was quite an unusual scene for not only journalists but for other cricketers as well because it is not often seen that a national cricketer who will be touring with Bangladesh team to the West Indies after two days, is failing to secure a club and paying for the token himself.
“I have just come to take my token of the league and going back to my home,” said Gazi in the final hour at the Bangabandhu National stadium.
Meanwhile, Sunny, a regular performer in the domestic circuit for half a decade now, suffered a similar fate as he too is struggling to find a club for the first time in his career although he has always been a first choice player for any club.
The role of the pool quota system has played its role too as BCB made it mandatory for clubs to take at least one pace bowler from the pool to fill their three-man quota. Having taken a pacer, the clubs naturally opted for all-rounders rather than spinners.
“I received offers from Mohammedan, Abahani and Gazi Tank. Both Mohammedan and Abahani refused to pay 80 percent of my salary in advance while Gazi Tank showed interest, but they will not take me under the national pool quota,” said Sunny.
The 27-year old, however, informed few other clubs have shown interest in him, “Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Brothers Union Club have shown interest to take me in their side as both the clubs have not picked any national pool cricketer during the players’ transfer. They said they will be in touch with me after their club president, who is out of the country at the moment, returns.”
