Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik is scheduled to rejoin the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) team Barishal Fortune on February 2, having withdrawn from the tournament a few days earlier. He will be eligible to play in the team’s final Sylhet leg game against Khulna Tigers on February 3, according to ESPNCricinfo.
Shoaib Malik left the BPL abruptly after participating in only three games with Barishal. The team’s owner, Mizanur Rahman, mentioned that Malik’s contract was initially until February 14. Malik, who had batted at the sixth position in all three games, left after the third match and expressed his intention to return on February 6. However, this timeline did not align with the team’s schedule for the upcoming games in Sylhet.
The reason for Malik’s sudden departure from the tournament was unclear. He tweeted that he had a detailed discussion with Barishal skipper Tamim Iqbal regarding his future plans and mentioned leaving Bangladesh for a pre-committed media engagement in Dubai.
Malik faced scrutiny for his on-field performance, scoring 7, 5, and 17 in his three innings, and bowling three no-balls in a match against Khulna Tigers. A Bangladesh journalist raised concerns about potential match-fixing, but Malik denied any such claims.
The incident occurred on January 22 in Mirpur, where Malik’s three no-balls contributed to Fortune Barishal’s inability to defend 187 runs against Khulna Tigers. The team owner, Mizanur Rahman, expressed his belief that the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s anti-corruption unit should investigate Malik’s on-field actions.
In the midst of this controversy, Shoaib Malik made headlines by announcing his marriage to Pakistani actress Sana Javed, following reports of his divorce from Sania Mirza. The couple, who were married in 2010 and have a son named Izhaan Mirza Malik, were together for nearly 12-13 years.
Despite the controversy surrounding Malik’s performance in the Bangladesh Premier League, Barishal team owner Mizanur Rahman urged focusing on upcoming matches rather than making a big deal out of the situation, emphasizing Malik’s efforts for the team. Barishal Fortune is currently fifth on the points table with two wins from five games.
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