New Delhi, Aug 8 The participation of Bangladesh’s premier left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan, starting on August 21 in Rawalpindi, is still uncertain.
A report in The Daily Star newspaper says Shakib, who is currently playing in the Global T20 Canada league after playing in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA last month, was given NOC by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) till August 12, following which he was expected to join the national side either in Bangladesh or Pakistan directly.
But with the current unrest in Bangladesh, which resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing the country, Shakib is unlikely to come back anytime soon. Moreover, Shakib was an elected MP via the Awami League party but is not a lawmaker anymore due to the Bangladesh Parliament being dissolved.
The report, though, says Shakib’s fitness for playing red-ball cricket is a concern for the selectors as he has been playing T20 matches since May. "Before it was just about whether he (Shakib) could come to Bangladesh and then travel to Pakistan.”
“He's been playing cricket but, in a format, where he has to score quickly in a short time. And even though he knows how to play longer matches, there's a concern about whether he can handle the physical demands (of Test cricket)," a BCB official was quoted as saying in the report.
It added that the selectors are likely to talk to skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and head coach Chandika Hathurusingha in one or two days to finalise the 15-member squad for the Test series against Pakistan.
Shahriar Nafees, in charge of Cricket Operations with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), was quoted as saying in the report that Shakib's inclusion in the Test team is dependent on both his availability and selection.
"He is only a cricketer now. There is a question of whether he is available for the series now and another is whether he gets picked for the tour. We will run our activity keeping these two factors in mind," he concluded.
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