The DPL factor in players’ workload management

A club versus country debate is raging in Bangladesh cricket about the board's decision to recall Mustafizur Rahman from his stint at the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The decision was made to manage the pacer's workload ahead of June's ICC Twenty20 World Cup, with Bangladesh playing a home series against Zimbabwe in May.

However, the same officials have adopted a very different approach for the other national team pacers who are currently taking part in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) in the sweltering heat and perhaps it is this difference in approaches that hold the key in understanding the crux of the matter.

In the ongoing DPL, Abahani Limited have completely dominated the proceedings, picking up victories in all 12 of their matches so far.

Majority of the national team players are playing for Abahani, which includes Mustafizur's fellow national team pacers Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam.

While Mustafizur has enjoyed a lot of success this season for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Taskin and Shoriful have also bowled with fire in the DPL while a heat wave has been sweeping across the country.

On April 17, Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) cricket operations chariman Jalal Yunus made headlines when he said that Mustafizur has 'nothing to learn' from IPL and cited the need to manage the pacer's workload as one of the main reasons why the board wants him back in Bangladesh on May 2.

However, if Mustafizur, who has been busy playing in a T20 tournament, needs to be looked after to ensure he doesn't get burnt out ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, surely Taskin and Shoriful also deserve a similar consideration as playing 50-over matches in DPL cannot be the easier option.

Questions are naturally arising whether the fact that Taskin and Shoriful are playing for Abahani, a traditional club where many BCB high ups are directly involved, has been a factor in this difference in approaches.

"It's very hot out here but that's what we have to play through," said Abahani pacer Shoriful about playing against Prime Bank Cricket Club in the searing heat in Mirpur yesterday.

"We didn't think about how hot it was because thinking about it might make us feel the heat even more. What we had in mind was that after every two-three overs we would take a break and then get into the field again," he added.

Taskin did not play in the Sri Lanka Tests while Shoriful was rested for the second Test of the series. Shoriful said he had been given an option to rest before Eid-ul-Fitr by Abahani coach Khaled Mahmud, but he refused it.

"Yes, he [Mahmud] told me that 'you could rest' but I told him that since there are no games immediately after Eid, it would serve my fitness better if I play one or two matches. There is a chance that Taskib bhai and I might get rested in the next match," Shoriful said.

Abahani management yesterday informed this newspaper that they are hoping to get Taskin and Shoriful till April 28 as they are two wins away from securing the title, the same date the Tigers have their first practice session at Chattogram to prepare for Zimbabwe.

Abahani management also informed that national team had requested them not to overplay the pacers. So far though, that request hasn't really been upheld and it remains to be seen when they or other national stars playing for influential DPL teams join the camp.

What is certain though is that no club versus country debate is complete without the DPL also factoring in. With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, the coming days will make it clear what importance does BCB really place on workload management.