Bangladesh have been dealt a massive blow as their star player Shakib Al Hasan has chosen to skip the Tests against Sri Lanka. The loss reportedly happened due to an eye problem he has been battling. He was not included in the squad for the white-ball series by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Yet, Shakib was in the reckoning for the Tests, which are a part of the ICC World Test Championship cycle.
However, BCB president Jalal Yunus has confirmed that Shakib has chosen not to participate in the Test series as he wanted a break. Yunus has gone as far as to say that Shakib wanted a complete break from international cricket and did not want to participate in the series.
This news is bound to shock many of Bangladesh’s supporters. Yet, it will also open vacancies for their youngsters to come in and showcase their wares. Shakib struggled with batting at the beginning of the Bangladesh Premier League due to his eye problem. Still, as time passed, he flourished with the bat, making 249 runs in 11 matches despite scoring only four runs from the first three innings.
“He wanted a break from the entire series against Sri Lanka as he didn’t want to participate in international cricket. I think his eyes are fine now, but he wants a break so that he can come back to international cricket fully fit,” Yunus told the Indian media house Cricbuzz.
Shakib plans to play in the Dhaka Premier League, Bangladesh’s national first-class tournament. The DPL is slated to start on March 9. He will turn up for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to get more time in the middle with the bat and prepare for a comeback to international cricket.
