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Watch Sabbir Rahman’s banned ‘raunchy’ ad

Bangladesh’s Sabbir Rahman had caught the eye of many with his superb batting performance on his Test debut and remaining unbeaten on 64 against England in first Test at Chittagong.

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Bangladesh’s Sabbir Rahman came under the spotlight with his superb batting performance on his Test debut and remaining unbeaten on 64 against England in first Test at Chittagong. Just then the Bangladesh star was caught in the web of a ‘raunchy’ commercial for all wrong reasons. The advert has been airing since August and Bangladesh which is known to be a conservative country, found the commercial going beyond the religious boundaries. The commercial focuses on a non-alcoholic drink called ‘Oscar’. The advert begins with a war sort of situation on the Bangladesh batsman missing and news going around of him not seen. Navjot Singh Siddhu’s doppelganger comes up with his ‘Shayaris’ while West Indies team is seen celebrating his absence. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Bangladesh vs England, 2nd Test at Dhaka

But the commercial came under scrutiny when Bangladeshi model Naila Nayeem, seductively handcuffs the 24-year-old batsman before he responds that drinking Oscar means “a little privacy is indeed needed” at his own place. Speaking to AFP about the advert, a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) source said, “BCB has circulated a directive to stop broadcasting of the ad. It does not fit with the image of Bangladesh cricket. The advert has drawn sharp reaction online, mostly from those opposed to 34-year-old model Naila whose previous promotion of breast cancer screenings was seen by some as sexually suggestive. ALSO READ: Bangladesh vs England, 1st Test, Day 4: Sabbir Rahman scores maiden half-century

The commercial went viral in no time and was ridiculed by many with comments like “Absolute nonsense! I wonder why would Sabbir act in such a sexually tickling ad with Naila!” from a Facebook user named Rahat Khan. Bangladeshi cricketers are feted like rockstars by millions in the socially conservative Muslim-majority country and are in huge demand to promote everything from noodles to mobile phones.

Sabbir’s performance in the first Test almost could have helped Bangladesh to a victory against England, however, the story was different. There was no immediate comment from Sabbir or Nayem.

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