Bangladesh axed six players from national contracts after a year of poor performances with players who escaped the chop being denied a pay rise, an official said Thursday.
Opening batsmen Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes were among the six to miss out on a contract as Bangladesh cricket warned players to shape up, selector Habibul Bashar said.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board late Wednesday decided to retain just 10 players on contract, with three others to be added at a later time.
"For contracts, we mostly preferred players who would perform regularly over the next one year," Bashar told AFP.
"Some players have lost their regular spot in the team. They needed to be sent a message. Getting dropped does not mean the door is closed for them. Everyone will get a fair chance in future."