'It won't change in the future' - Mushfiqur Rahim rigid on his stance of not touring Pakistan

Bangladesh’s ace batsman Mushfiqur Rahim has reiterated the fact that he in no circumstances will travel to Pakistan with the team for the remaining leg of the tour. Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan was split in three, and the last of these is lined up for early April, when the two teams play a one-off ODI [April 3] and the second of two Tests [from April 5], all in Karachi.

Bangladesh has already lost the T20I series 2-0 and the first Test as well. It was more due to the team missing two of their top players in Mushfiqur and Shakib-Al-Hasan. Shakib has been banned for a year for not reporting a corrupt approach, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Nazmul Hasan had mentioned that Rahim was contractually bound to traveling to Pakistan.

“I made my stance clear about Pakistan, and BCB accepted it,”  – Mushfiqur Rahim

Nazmul Hasan had urged the veteran keeper-batsman to think about the country first and not become selfish. This statement had come after he had stated while announcing the dates of the tour in January, that every player had the right to choose whether he wanted to tour Pakistan or not. The tone changed when Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe at home.

“I made my stance clear about Pakistan, and they [BCB] has also accepted it. They should have shown me respect for not putting my name in the PSL draft either. I think it is pretty clear. It won’t change in the future. I wish well to those who are going to Pakistan,” Rahim told NTV news channel.

Rahim had also turned down a Pakistan Super League contract stating that his family was concerned about his safety in the country. “My family is worried, and they don’t want me to go. There’s no bigger sin for me than not playing for Bangladesh. But I had denied an offer to play in the PSL after knowing that the tournament will be entirely held in Pakistan. My family didn’t agree with it,” he had been quoted saying by ESPNCricinfo in January.

Nazmul Hasan had taken a strict stance in the aftermath of the win over Zimbabwe and said that the board will remind every contracted player that country comes before everything and they must do as they are told, if and when selected.