Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has stoked a fresh controversy for breaching Covid-19 protocols on the eve of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) finals.
A day before Friday's finals at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, the skipper of BPL team Fortune Barishal was snapped shooting for a TV commercial directed by ad guru Amitabh Reza Chowdhury.
Earlier on Thursday, he skipped the team's practice match against Comilla Victorians. Sabbir Khan, the manager of Barishal, had attributed his absence to “stomach ache”.
UNB received some images of Shakib shooting for the commercial wearing a yellow polo shirt. Hours later, Shakib also posted a teaser on his social media handle wearing the same shirt.
However, neither Nurul nor Barishal coach Khaled Mahmud clarified why Shakib had skipped the training.
According to BPL Covid-safety protocols, no player is allowed to leave the bio-secure bubble sans an emergency. It's certain that Shakib's commitment for the commercial doesn't count as an emergency.
According to experts, one can show Covid symptoms a few days after being exposed to the virus.
It's not new for Shakib to break protocols. During the last Dhaka Premier League T20s, he was found to bring outsiders to his personal practice session when he was supposed to maintain social distancing.
He broke all boundaries kicking on stumps during the same event being dissatisfied with a decision of the umpire. Earlier, Shakib was also away during the official photo session of the Bangladesh cricket team before the last 50-over World Cup.
