Bangladesh have not played any international cricket since March 2020. For the Tigers' fans, that's a long period without top-flight cricket.
This year was also supposed to see the return of all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. The Bangladesh star was expected to make his comeback in October after serving a one-year ban for breaching the ICC's anti-corruption code.
But it's a new year and fresh opportunities for Bangladesh. Below is the complete schedule of the Bangladesh cricket team, subject to clearance.
January - February
West Indies tour of Bangladesh
January 20: First ODI, Dhaka
January 22: Second ODI, Dhaka
January 25: Third ODI, Chattogram
February 3: First Test, Chattogram
February 11: Second Test, Dhaka
February-March
Bangladesh tour of New Zealand
March 13: First ODI, Dunedin
March 17: Second ODI, Christchurch
March 20: Third ODI, Wellington
March 23: First T20, Napier
March 26: Second T20, Auckland
March 28: Third T20, Hamilton
June
Asia Cup in Sri Lanka
June-July
Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe
2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 3 T20s
September-October
England tour of Bangladesh
3 ODIs, 3 T20s
October-November
T20 World Cup in India
November-December
Pakistan tour of Bangladesh
2 Tests, 3 T20s
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
