The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has blocked fast bowler Shoriful Islam from a County Championship stint with Kent, officials confirmed on Tuesday, prioritising the pacer's fitness ahead of a brutal run of international fixtures.

Shoriful was set to follow compatriot Hasan Mahmud into the Kent dressing room for a handful of matches, but the board decided against handing him a No Objection Certificate (NOC), concerned that the workload would undermine his readiness for Bangladesh's packed upcoming programme.

"Shoriful was not given an NOC considering his workload and upcoming international assignments, because in the next three months we have five Tests, seven T20s, and six ODIs," Shahriar Nafees, BCB cricket operation in-charge, confirmed to Cricbuzz.

"Shoriful is the kind of player who plays all formats. Plus he's just coming back from a hamstring injury. So if we give him an NOC for four county matches, the amount of pressure that will put on his body, we are concerned he might not be fully fit for all those matches."

He added: "That's why the team management and medical department feel it's more important for him to train rather than play, and be fit and ready for the international matches."

While Shoriful has been kept back, the board has been more accommodating of another quick. Nafees revealed that Khaled Ahmed has been granted an NOC for Kent after being approached by the English county.

"Khaled was given an NOC for Kent as he is fully fit and hasn't played too many matches in the recent past," he said.