BCB chief optimistic about Shakib presence in SL tour

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan is optimistic that all-rounder Shakib al Hasan will be able to join the national team during their tour of Sri Lanka.

Shakib is counting down to a little more than a couple of months of his remaining suspension imposed by International Cricket Council as the cricketer failed to report multiple corrupt approaches.

The 33-year old will be done with his suspension on October 28 when Bangladesh team will be on tour of Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series, part of the World Test Championship.

“I will not reveal the conversation I had with him. Shakib will be available for us to play after his suspension is completed, and we are eagerly waiting for that. But we will also need to look into his fitness and preparation,” said Nazmul to the media at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Saturday.

“We will hold his practice sessions, he will be on his own. He will return [to Dhaka] this month and start practice. I hope that he will be fit and able to join us in Sri Lanka, and that he will be able to play, but having said that, he has to be prepared for that,” he added.

Nazmul informed that Shakib will be under board’s observation.

Discussions were abound in the cricketing fraternity over the process of Shakib’s return, and Nazmul’s statement has made the picture a bit clearer.

“We can have one of our physios look after him and test his fitness. If he travels there [Sri Lanka] early then we can assess him because he cannot start playing all of a sudden,” said Nazmul.

Bangladesh are scheduled to travel to Sri Lanka on September 24, and only start the series after a month of procedures and preparation due to the corona pandemic.

In October last year, Shakib was handed a suspension of two years, with one year of that suspended, after the cricketer accepted three charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.