Bangladesh will have their premier allrounder Shakib Al Hasan available for the Test series opener against Sri Lanka in Chattogram. The player makes his return to the Test whites after a prolonged sabbatical from the format, skipping away series at the start of the year against New Zealand and South Africa.
He last turned up in the longest version of the game in November when Pakistan visited Bangladesh for two World Test Championship games. The two-Test series against Sri Lanka, too, is part of the new cycle of the league spanning 2021-23.
Shakib committing himself to the Sri Lanka series and Test cricket is a positive sign for the selectors and the team management after a cloud of uncertainty hovered over his participation in the format earlier in the year. The great allrounder had indicated he is eyeing a prolonged break from the Test match format to focus on white-ball duties with two World Cups scheduled in the following two years.
The 35-year-old had initially taken a break from the South Africa series entirely to rejuvenate himself, feeling burnout during Bangladesh’s home white-ball series against Afghanistan in February. The Bangladesh Cricket Board had provided the player a break from all cricket till April 30 at the point in time.
But in an unexpected U-turn, the player decided to travel with the side and made himself available not just for the ODIs but also the Test matches. However, Shakib, who helped the visitors clinch a historic series victory in ODIs versus South Africa, still ended up missing the Tests due to personal reasons that forced him to travel back to Bangladesh immediately.
With the Asian rivals hoping to add to their tally of wins in the ongoing WTC cycle after following their inspirational win in Mount Maunganui with a disappointing 2-0 series loss in the rainbow nation, the Monimul Haque-led side would feel boosted by the presence of their mainstay in either department.
Shakib has done the heavy loading over the years for a Bangladesh Test side that have been massive second-favourites for the most part of their journey since the inaugural fixture back in the year 2000. He has played 59 Tests with 4,029 runs at 39.59 and 215 wickets at 31.30 per piece.
The selectors have dropped Shadman Islam and Abu Jayed from the squad for the Sri Lanka Test, while giving Taskin Ahmed time to recover from his shoulder injury. The pacer, who was fantastic in the South Africa ODIs, has been given rest to recuperate from his injury.
Shoriful Islam, the left-arm pacer, was included for the Chattogram Test subject to fitness clearance after he skipped the South Africa Tests due to an injury to his ankle. Uncapped quick Rejaur Rahman Raja is also part of the 16-man squad. Raja was included in the squad for the home series against Pakistan as well.
Apart from Islam, there are two more injury concerns in the squad in the form of veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim and off-spinner Mehidy Hasan, who both picked up their injuries while playing the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), Bangladesh’s List A domestic tournament.
“[Mushfiqur and Mehidy’s injuries] is nothing serious, they will be in the Test side. Shadman will play the practice match (against Sri Lanka). Raja was in the Test side once, so he comes back because we have injury concerns in the pace department,”
chief selector Minhajul Abedin was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
The Sri Lankans will reach Bangladesh on May 8 and take part in a two-day practice match against a representative XI from the visitors on May 10 and 11. The first Test in Chattogram starts on May 15, while Dhaka hosts the final Test from May 23.
