Bangladesh have received a boost ahead of their tour of Pakistan and India for the Test series. Their veteran all-rounder Shakib Al-Hasan has confirmed to chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain that he will be available for all eight Tests in 2024. Bangladesh will play Pakistan away from home in two Tests starting on August 21, while they are scheduled to tour India next month for the same number of matches in the longer format.
Shakib had earlier hinted that he had not decided whether he would be available for the tour of India. However, Ashraf revealed that the all-rounder had committed to play in all the Test matches of the year for Bangladesh. He recently played for the Bangla Tigers in the Global T20 Canada that concluded on August 11. With that competition over, Shakib is now all set to join the Bangladesh team directly in Pakistan within a couple of days.
“Probably at the end of July, we spoke to Shakib and had discussions with me regarding his fitness. During the Zimbabwe series, we wanted to understand his short-term plans. We have a very busy schedule with eight Test matches till December. He assured us that he would play all the Test matches and attend all the practice sessions before each series. He is expected to join the team around August 14 or 15,” Ashraf said.
The 37-year-old has not been able to play red-ball cricket for the past two years as he has featured in only four of the eight Test matches for Bangladesh. He is also coming off a T20 league appearance and could prove rusty against Pakistan. Shakib Al Hasan has been having trouble with his vision for the past 12 months or so. However, the BCB chief selector stated that the medical team has not detected any major problem with Shakib’s eyes and insisted that he will play Pakistan’s Test matches as an all-rounder.
“I have not received any update from our medical team regarding his eyes. Globally, Shakib is one of the all-time great bowlers of the last 25 (15) years and I stand by that view. I dare not consider him as just a bowler. The way he has been able to reach new heights and his ability to adapt to different formats and his record against Pakistan are factors that are taken into consideration for his inclusion.
“It was important to know if he would be available for all the training sessions before the series and that was a selection criterion from our point of view. We were supposed to go [to Pakistan] “A little later. He will probably join the team on the 14th or 15th and train with the team,” Ashraf added.
Bangladesh vs Pakistan Test Team: Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, This is a reminder, Mushfiqur RahimShakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.