Shoriful Islam denied NOC by the BCB [Source: AFP]Bangladesh pace bowler Shoriful Islam has been denied his England debut for domestic tournament. Notably, Islam was set to play for Kent in the County Championship following the conclusion of Australia vs Bangladesh 2026 series. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board have put a restriction on the player.For the unaware, Shoriful Islam was a prolific player to watch in the two-match Test series that ended in a draw. He produced a historic spell with his 7-wicket haul against Australia at Mackay and was a celebratory pacer alongside his teammate, Hasan Mahmud, who was also invited by Kent to play in the County Championship in September 2026.Bangladesh denies the NOC plea of Shoriful IslamAs per a recent report from Cricbuzz, the No Objection Certificate plea from Shoriful Islam to represent Kent for County Championship Division Two matches has been rejected by the Bangladesh Cricket Board officials.The Bangladesh cricket team is set to face South Africa for a two-match Test series in November, followed by a white-ball series, which have effectively trimmed down Islam’s chances and bound him to international commitments for the nation.“Shoriful was not given 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 operations in-charge, told Cricbuzz.Interestingly, Hasan Mahmud has not been restricted for the overseas domestic stint, and the pacer will likely fly to England to play for Kent.Also Read- Bangladesh’s Shoriful Islam Gives Mitchell Starc A Fitting Reply With Historic SpellWhy was Shoriful Islam rejected to play for Kent by BCB?Shoriful has featured in 14 Tests, 46 ODIs and 63 T20I games for Bangladesh so far and is undoubtedly a crucial part of the Bengal Tigers given his recent contributions with the ball.In the last twelve months, Shoriful Islam has made the most impact with the ball in Tests after Nahid Rana, although the T20I season for him has been pretty forgettable. Nevertheless, the BCB values him as an important asset for the country and wants to preserve him for future commitments, especially after coming from an injury.“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 4 county matches, the amount of pressure that will put on his body, we're concerned he might not be fully fit for all those (international) matches,” he said.“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,” he said.Has Shoriful ever played County cricket?Interestingly, Shoriful Islam has never played County cricket before. Kent approached the pacer after his impressive recent spells against Australia to represent them for the final leg of Division Two. Kent is currently trailing Durham on the points table and has strong chances to make it to the final with five matches still remaining.Nevertheless, the left-arm pacer has played overseas franchise matches, though. Islam has played in the Pakistan Super League and the Lanka Premier League. In the LPL, he debuted in 2023 and had a short stint with the Kandy Royals in 2024. His most recent foreign tournament was the PSL, where he represented the Peshawar Zalmis and was unimpressive with just 2 wickets from 5 matches at an economy rate of 7.93.Also Read- Asian Games Cricket Schedule 2026 Revealed; IND vs PAK Date Revealed For SF Clash
