Veteran Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik is poised for a comeback to the Fortune Barishal squad on February 2nd, rejoining the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after a brief hiatus last week. The 42-year-old is anticipated to participate in the team’s concluding match in the Sylhet leg against the Khulna Tigers on February 3rd.

In a noteworthy development, Ahmed Shehzad has entered the Fortune Barishal lineup in Sylhet for the 2024 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season. Shehzad steps in as a replacement for Shoaib Malik, who departed from the team mid-season.

Shoaib Malik had initially returned to Dubai after featuring in just three games for the team, citing personal reasons for his departure. The seasoned Pakistani cricketer faced a lackluster performance in this year’s BPL, accumulating scores of only 17, 5, and 7 runs in three games while securing just one wicket. Speculation arose regarding possible match-fixing charges leading to his abrupt exit from the squad.

Initially, reports hinted at the termination of Malik’s contract with the team due to these allegations. However, franchise owner Mizanur Rahman dispelled any such rumors via social media, unequivocally denying any spot-fixing charges against the player.

Previously, Shoaib Malik had released an official statement elucidating the rationale behind his withdrawal from the Bangladesh Premier League. He also emphasized that the decision was a mutual understanding for planning his future with Fortune Barishal.

“I want to clarify and dispel the recent rumors surrounding my playing status with Fortune Barishal. After a comprehensive discussion with our captain, Tamim Iqbal, we mutually strategized our course of action. My departure from Bangladesh was necessitated by a pre-arranged media commitment in Dubai.”

In the fourth over of the innings, the Pakistani all-rounder conceded 18 runs due to no-balls and subsequent free hits. Regrettably, Fortune Barishal ended up losing the match as their opponents successfully chased down the 188-run target with two overs to spare and eight wickets in hand.

Subsequent to this occurrence, considerable speculation and debate arose regarding match-fixing suspicions, with particular attention drawn to Shoaib Malik’s no-ball mishap against the Khulna Tigers.

Shoaib Malik has experienced a whirlwind on social media in the past two weeks. His official declaration of divorce from Indian tennis star Sania Mirza marked the conclusion of his second marriage. Shortly thereafter, the 41-year-old Malik tied the knot with Pakistani actress Sana Javed, who is 30 years old.

Fortune Barishal’s upcoming match is slated for February 3rd against the Khulna Tigers. The team currently holds the fifth position on the points table, securing victories in two out of their five matches thus far.

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