Mashrafee bin Murtaza and Sakib al Hasan on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Abahani to play for the club in the forthcoming Dhaka Premier League, putting to rest all fears and doubts. Mashrafee and Sakib were the first cricketers to formally give their commitment to any club before the inter-club players’ transfer scheduled for September 29–October 1. The club has agreed to pay them Tk 20 lakh each, which is a record.

Abahani fulfilled its quota of three cricketers from the national pool with Tamim Iqbal, who is getting Tk 15 lakh, said a club official. Mashrafee and Tamim also played for Abahani in the last season while Sakib is joining them from Biman Bangladesh Airlines. ‘It is a very positive sign of our cricket. It shows our cricket is improving,’ said Sakib while he was talking about the record transfer amount after signing the memorandum at the club. ‘I knew even before I had signed that playing for Abahani will not be an easy job. I came here well aware of the expectations,’ said Sakib, who was also sought by his previous team, Biman and Gazi Tank Cricketers.

It has been alleged national cricketers are hardly serious about domestic cricket these days and it often leads to the downfall of their team, but Sakib said he would prove the proposition wrong. ‘I always try to give my best, be it in domestic or international cricket. I will try to do the same for Abahani.’ Abahani officials said they are expecting the sort of commitment from Sakib they have seen in Mashrafee last season. Paceman Mashrafee in a number of matches bowled off-spin to defy injury. He was instrumental in Abahani’s wining the hat-trick Dhaka Premier League title. ‘I have not seen such a commitment in other players. He led our team by an example,’ said Nazmul Hasan Papon, an Abahani director and vice-chairman of the cricket committee.

This is for the first time Mashrafee is playing for a club in two successive seasons and the pace spearhead said Abahani’s support during his injury period had helped him to make the decision. ‘Obviously money was a factor. But I was also happy with Abahani last season. It did not pressure me to join practice with injury. The support I received has inspired me to continue with them,’ he said. When Sakib and Marshrafee are getting a record price, some of their national teammates are even struggling to get a team, largely because of the controversial pool system. With the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis chairman, GS Hasan Tamim, who is also Abahani’s cricket secretary, sitting by him during the signing, Mashrafee said the officials must review the system or increase the quota in the interest of cricket.

-New Age