The three-day preparatory match of the red and green teams has just ended on Chittagong soil. Before this another two-day match took place. Bangladesh team cricketers will join the camp in Dhaka after the preparation match. The camp will start tomorrow (Friday) in Mirpur ahead of the upcoming Test series against Pakistan. However, Shakib Al Hasan is not staying in that camp.
Shakib is now in Canada to play the Global T20 League. He has a permit to stay there till August 12. Due to which this all-rounder is not able to stay in test practice. Shakib has been suffering from batting in recent times. There are also questions about his head position for eye problems. In between, he will come down to play the test without any preparation. All in all, the question remains that how ready Shakib is for the Test!
If Shakib’s team plays the final in the Global Twenty20 League, there is also a doubt whether he can go to Pakistan on the same plane with the Tigers. But despite playing white ball cricket, Shakib is keeping himself ready for red ball. BCB Chief Selector Gazi Ashraf Lipuk told this Tiger Allrounder.
Lipu told Dhaka Post, “Shakib will not get much opportunity to practice.” Shakib has agreed to participate in Test matches. He’s preparing himself that way, as far as I’ve been told. Besides, it depends whether his team will go to the semis. NOC is issued till 12th. When we talked two days ago, he said he would play. As far as I know he will come to Dhaka first.’
Earlier BCB Cricket Operations Chairman Jalal Yunus said, ‘He is available (available) in Tests. Talked to me, to the board, to the selectors. If there is no time, he may go directly (to Pakistan) from Dubai. Or he has been asked to come to Dhaka and train with the team for a day or two. He (Shakib) will be available in the Pakistan series.’