Shakib Al Hasan unlikely to play in ODI series against Afghanistan

Dhaka: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed said that veteran allrounder Shakib Al Hasan’s participation in the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan is unlikely. Shakib has been out of action since the last month’s second Test against India in Kanpur. He missed the ongoing two-match Test series against South Africa due to safety reasons. He is aiming to play in the Abu Dhabi T10 League for Bangla Tigers to get some game time before the Caribbean tour. Following their three ODIs against Afghanistan, Bangladesh will travel to the West Indies for a tour featuring two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is. Shakib, having retired from Tests and T20Is, will only participate in the ODI series in the Caribbean, as well as the Champions Trophy scheduled for February 2025. This will be his first ODI appearance since the World Cup in India last year. “After Shakib couldn’t come to play his (farewell) Test, he wasn’t doing much practice,” Faruque said at a press conference on Thursday. “I think he needs some time to regroup. We haven’t taken a final decision but he looks unlikely to play the next series (against Afghanistan). He is likely to miss the series. He could be playing a T10 tournament soon. I feel he can still play for Bangladesh in the 50-over format. There are three ODIs against West Indies before the Champions Trophy.” Faruque claimed that the board would consider Shakib for the remaining ODIs this season if the selectors believe his training and participation in franchise tournaments provide adequate preparation. “Shakib has played for 17 years and he is part of the generation that plays a lot of franchise cricket. They know the drill. They play, sleep maybe a few hours and turn up for training. So he is geared for such situations,” he said “It is the definitely the best possible thing to train with the team but we will consider him if the selection committee thinks that he can still deliver by training or playing tournaments abroad,” BCB president added. The national selectors have yet to announce Bangladesh’s squad for the ODI series against Afghanistan, set to begin on November 6. This delay comes as the board president plans to meet with Najmul Hossain Shanto, who recently showed hesitation about continuing in a leadership role. Meanwhile, Faruque clarified that the decision for Shakib to miss last week’s Dhaka Test was made by the government, with the BCB not involved in the decision-making process. “The BCB wasn’t a part of the decision of Shakib not coming to Bangladesh,” he said. “Our sports adviser informed the media at the time that there’s a problem if he comes. I didn’t have to make a statement. I heard that there was security till 3 or 4pm, and then there were clashes between the two sides.” –IANS