BCB Holds Fire on Rishad's SA20 Clearance

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials announced on Wednesday that no final decision has been reached regarding Rishad Hossain's participation in the upcoming SA20 season, with the tournament potentially clashing with the next edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Rishad Hossain made history as the first Bangladeshi cricketer to be signed by an SA20 franchise after joining Sunrisers Eastern Cape for the 2027 season. However, his availability remains in doubt as the SA20 is scheduled to run from January 9 to February 4, a period during which the BPL is also expected to be held.

BPL Dates Still Unconfirmed

While the BPL Governing Council has yet to announce the dates for the next season, the tournament is likely to take place between January and February. The board is looking to bring in leading corporate houses to avoid the payment issues that plagued previous editions.

As things stand, Rishad could miss a second successive BPL season after sitting out the previous edition while representing Hobart Hurricanes in Australia's Big Bash League (BBL).

BCB Official: "Each NOC Treated on Individual Basis"

Despite the scheduling conflict, BCB officials insisted no decision has been taken yet. A BCB official told Cricbuzz: "If the BPL doesn't take place then, there are no problems. If it does (two competitions overlapping), board will have look into it and take a decision."

"This is today's news (Rishad picked in SA20) and after the auction they will apply for the NOC and later the board will consider it. Previously, Hobart Hurricanes had applied for him beforehand, but recently no such thing had happened so now that he has got a team he will apply and the board will take a decision," he said.

The official added: "Each and every single NOC is treated on an individual basis and just because it happened once (Rishad missing BPL for Big Bash) doesn't mean it will happen again. Now, when he applies for the NOC to take part in SA20, the board will decide whether to allow him or not at the expense of missing the BPL if it is scheduled during that point of time."

Rishad's Impressive Franchise Cricket Form

Rishad heads into the SA20 on the back of a strong run in franchise cricket. He claimed 12 wickets for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League before enjoying another impressive campaign with Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, where he picked up 15 wickets in 11 innings to finish as the joint-leading wicket-taking spinner of the tournament.