'No problem': Shakib to play October home Tests unless injured, dropped
Shakib Al Hasan has no apparent reason to miss the upcoming home Test series against South Africa next month, unless he faces an injury or a selection issue, said a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official on Monday.
As the delegation team from Cricket South Africa has already paid an inspection visit to Bangladesh, questions are arising about whether Shakib will play in the two-match Test series.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The only reason behind this question is that a murder case had been filed against Shakib over the death of a garment worker during the mass protest on 5 August. Shakib, being a former lawmaker of the recently ousted Awami League government, was one of the 146 accused of the case filed at Dhaka's Adabor Police Station on August 22.
"I think the Hon'ble Chief Adviser, Hon'ble Law Adviser and Hon'ble Sports Adviser have spoken very clearly regarding Shakib Al Hasan. There is a clear message from the Bangladesh government that no one will be harassed unfairly in the cases that have been filed," BCB's cricket operations in-charge Shahriar Nafees told reporters in Mirpur.
"We believe the interim government has made its position very clear on Shakib. Unless there is an injury problem or a selection-related issue, I personally don't see any reason as of now why Shakib Al Hasan should not play in Bangladesh in the home series.
"It is the responsibility of the selectors to select. When they announce the squad, we will know who is in and who is not. The interim government and the advisers clearly stated that in their speeches. I don't see any problem personally," he concluded.
Earlier, on August 28, Dr Asif Nazrul, the adviser for law, justice and parliamentary affairs to the interim government, expressed hope that cricketer Shakib will not be arrested when he returns to Bangladesh.
"There's only a case filed against Shakib. I hope he will not be arrested," the law adviser said at the time.
Shakib is currently in Chennai with the national team, who are preparing to leave the city for Kanpur on Tuesday to play the second and final Test, following their crushing 280-run defeat to hosts India in the series opener.
However, Shakib's participation in the series-deciding contest is still in doubt after he complained of a finger injury during the opening Test and was only able to bowl 21 overs in total without taking a wicket.
The all-rounder is also struggling with an eye problem, which came to light once again during the match against India, where he was seen holding the helmet strap between his teeth while batting in both innings, scoring 32 and 25 runs.
Bangladesh are also scheduled to face India in a three-match T20I series following the Test series, running from October 6-12. Afterwards South Africa are expected to arrive in Dhaka on October 16 before the first Test begins in Mirpur from October 21, followed by the series-concluding match in Chattogram on October 29.
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