The Bangladesh Cricket Board has declined to issue left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam a no-objection certificate to play English county cricket, prioritising the national team’s long-term interests and workload management. The decision follows Shoriful’s recovery from a hamstring injury, with the board seeking to keep him fully fit for Bangladesh’s upcoming international commitments.

BCB cricket operations in-charge Shahriar Nafees said participation in a long and demanding county competition immediately after returning from injury could increase Shoriful’s physical workload and create a risk of another injury. Bangladesh face a busy three-month schedule, including five Tests, seven Twenty20 internationals and six one-day internationals.

Shoriful is described as an important bowling option for Bangladesh across all three formats, prompting the medical team and management to take additional precautions. While Shoriful was not cleared, fellow pacer Khaled Ahmed has been allowed to represent Kent in the County Championship. The board considers county cricket useful preparation for Khaled because he is fully fit and has not played enough matches recently.