Former Bangladesh batsman Mohammad Ashraful has made a return to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after being picked up by the Chittagong Vikings in the player draft held on Sunday.
Only two months ago Ashraful had completed a five-year ban from cricket for match-fixing during the 2013 edition of the BPL. The batsman admitted to his offence to the anti-corruption unit before he was served with an eight-year ban from any form of cricket.
Ashraful’s appeal against the verdict in 2014 had seen his ban reduced to five years. His ban from domestic cricket came to an end in August 2016 since which he has scored 1, 495 runs in 49 first-class and List A matches including six centuries.
The former Bangladesh skipper has played 61 Tests, 177 ODIs and 23 T20s for his country so far. His last international appearance for the Tigers came in May, 2013 in an ODI against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo.
Ashraful’s last appearance for the Tigers came in 2013.
The 34-year-old has nine international centuries to his name with six of them coming in Tests while three have come in ODIs.
Ashraful’s last official T20 appearance came in 2013 as he makes his return to the BPL.
In the early hours of Sunday’s player draft in the BPL, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi was picked up by Comilla Victorians in category A+.
West Indies all-rounder Fabian Allen was signed by Sylhet Sixers who had earlier roped in David Warner and Sandeep Lamichhane outside the player-draft.
Bangladesh stalwart Mushfiqur Rahim will line up alongside Ashraful for the Chittagong Vikings after he was picked in the A+ category too.