Sabbir benched by Dhaka Capitals for disciplinary breach

Dhaka Capitals acquired Sabbir Rahman in the Players' Draft, indicating they had plans for him in their batting order. However, despite having played three matches in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Dhaka has yet to include the right-handed batsman in their playing XI.

Sabbir's exclusion from the team has prompted many questions on social media. Today, coach Khaled Mahmud Sujon clarified the matter, stating that Sabbir was benched due to disciplinary issues.

For many, this seems par for the course given Sabbir's history. The cricketer, who has been out of the national team for years, has been involved in numerous disciplinary incidents. In January 2018, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) suspended him for six months and dropped him from the central contract following allegations of assaulting a 12-year-old fan.

He was also fined 2 million Taka. Sabbir's name has been linked to controversies on several occasions both before and after this incident.

This time, he has faced exclusion due to internal breaches. According to Dhaka's coach, the primary reason for not fielding him was the team's combination, but disciplinary concerns also played a significant role. While initially citing team strategy as the cause, Sujon later made numerous comments about Sabbir's breach of discipline, further solidifying it as the main reason behind his omission. For instance, Dhaka's second match took place on 2 January. The team began practice at 9 am on the previous day, but Sabbir did not attend.

During Monday's press conference at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sujon elaborated, "We couldn't play Sabbir due to the team combination. Additionally, there were some other issues. Many people comment on Facebook or other social platforms without knowing the inside story. It's easy to make comments when you're unaware of the internal details. This was beyond my control. The captain was part of these decisions as well, and he had inputs."

"There are aspects of training we can't fully disclose. Yes, Sabbir was absent from training. He didn't attend the practice session between the first and second matches. This was also a matter of team discipline, and for that reason, he wasn't played, especially in the 2 January match. He was excluded specifically because he skipped the 1 January practice session. It's purely a disciplinary issue," Sujon added.

Despite the disciplinary concerns, Sujon expressed faith in Sabbir as a cricketer. He hinted that Sabbir might be included in Dhaka's XI from the Sylhet phase. "Sabbir is a good cricketer. I hope to play him from tomorrow's match, and I expect him to perform at his best. He's an experienced player, and we lack experience in our middle order. Sabbir's inclusion will greatly benefit us. I've stated this publicly to clear the air and provide clarity for his fans as well. I hope we can utilise him starting tomorrow's game."

If a player cannot attend a training session, they must notify the team. Dhaka's management was unaware of Sabbir's absence, and he didn't inform anyone. Sujon clarified that had Sabbir communicated, the matter wouldn't have escalated into a disciplinary breach. "I told him that missing practice wasn't a problem. Many players skip training the day before a match. But I prefer my players to either practice or at least show up at the dressing room. I explained this to Sabbir."

"We had no idea Sabbir wouldn't attend practice on 1 January. Neither I nor the manager knew about it. When I looked for him on the field, I was genuinely shocked to find him absent," Sujon remarked.

Sabbir has since realised his mistake and apologised, according to Sujon. "I spoke to him, and he admitted his fault. He said, 'Sujon bhai, I made a mistake. Please don't be angry.' I believe he'll support us for the rest of the campaign as a senior player and will behave accordingly. I'm confident he'll accept these issues and perform his best for the team starting tomorrow."

Dhaka Capitals have had a rough start in this season's BPL, losing all three of their matches in the Dhaka phase. They currently sit in sixth position on the points table. However, the team is determined to bounce back in Sylhet, with their mission starting on 7 January. Dhaka will face Rangpur Riders at Sylhet Stadium tomorrow at 1:30 pm.