BCB Bars Steve Smith From Playing In Bangladesh Premier League
May 31, 2023 at 12:13 PM
Former Australia skipper Steve Smith has suffered yet another setback. Not much has gone right for the star batsman since he was involved in the ball-tampering scandal this year.
Cricket Australia had slapped lengthy bans on him and two others – David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Both Warner and Smith received 12-month bans while newbie Bancroft was handed a 9-month ban. Consequently, Smith, Warner and Bancroft were barred from playing international and first-class cricket as well as the Big Bash League.
But luckily for the trio, Cricket Australia allowed them to play grade cricket and s well as franchise cricket. As a result, Smith and Warner played in the inaugural Global T20 Canada league before plying their trades in the Caribbean Premier League.
However, Smith has now suffered a big setback. At a time when he was eyeing his first stint in the Bangladesh Premier League, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has barred him from playing in the competition, citing a by-law violation.
Comilla Victorians had signed Smith to replace Shoaib Malik in the upcoming season, set to start on January 5. However, the franchises opposed the move as Smith was picked from outside the draft, which goes against the laws of the BPL.
“Yes he [Smith] is not available for us. We have received a mail in this regard last night,” Victorians chief executive Col[retd] AKM Zaki told Cricbuzz.
Smith was set to land in Bangladesh after Malik’s departure who will join the Pakistan team for the limited-overs leg of their series against South Africa which begins on January 19.
Meanwhile, Warner will play in the league. The southpaw joined Sylhet Sixers for the upcoming edition of BPL and will also lead the side.