Mohamadan Cricket Team 2009-2010..

MSC sign Tamim, Ashraful
Staff Correspondent

Local giants Mohammedan Sporting Club followed their arch-rivals Abahani on Monday when they signed their two prized cricketers, Mohammad Ashraful and Tamim Iqbal, for the upcoming Dhaka Premier League.
Mohammedan sealed the deals after Abahani had secured the signatures of Mashrafee bin Mortaza and Sakib al Hasan in a Memorandum of Understanding last week. Mashrafee and Sakib were reportedly paid Tk 20 lakh each.
Mohammedan, however, said they are not paying any cash money to Tamim and Ashraful. Rather they were being awarded certain financial benefits no less than what Abahani paid to Mashrafee and Sakib.
Ashraful told reporters that his benefit is worth of Tk 25 lakh, which if true will make him the highest paid cricketer ever. Tamim, however, did not say about any financial benefit and instead claimed that he is being paid Tk 20 lakh.
Tamim had initially agreed to play for Abahani for Tk 15 lakh, but the left-handed opener changed his mind after he received a better offer from Mohammedan. Abahani lambasted him for the somersault, but Tamim insisted that he has every right to make his choice.
選 did not sign any contract with them and nor did I receive any money. It was only a verbal agreement which I had to break after one of their officials misbehaved with me,・said Tamim at a press conference.
糎hen I received the Tk 18 lakh offer from Mohammedan, I called an Abahani official. But he behaved with me in a way which was not acceptable,・said Tamim, who did not name the official.
Tamim dismissed the suggestion that he was unhappy with his lower price tag in Abahani than Mashrafee and Sakib and thus decided to leave when he had the right opportunity.
選t痴 not true. I knew from the beginning how much they were going to offer Sakib. And I told him about it also as we are good friends,・said Tamim, who added that another reason for him to join Mohammedan was his brother Nafees Iqbal.
糎e both played together in Biman, but never opened in the same match. I thought joining Mohammedan will make the dream a reality and this is one of the reasons that I am here,・he said.
While Tamim joined Mohammedan for the first time, it will be the second innings for Ashraful at the club. He played for them in 2007, but could not live up to the expectations of the officials. Ashraful said he is hopeful that the club will end their eight-year trophy drought this time.
糎e have a very balanced side now. The team management said they will ensure the services of a quality foreign player from the very beginning. So hopefully we will win the trophy,・said Ashraful.
Lutfur Rahman Badal, chairman of Mohammedan cricket committee, said they are hopeful to play Sri Lankan all-rounder Farveez Maharoof from the beginning of the season. Badal also named a host of local cricketers who have signed contracts and already received a part of their signing money.
Apart from Tamim and Ashraful, Shamsur Rahman, Aftab Ahmed, Marshall Ayub, Mahmudullah Riyad, Khaled Mashud, Nabil Samad, Mohammad Shahzada, Delwar Hossain, Saqlain Sajib and Foysal Hossain will also play for Mohammedan.