Papon confirms Shakib’s desire to skip WI ODIs

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has asked the board verbally to be excused from the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies next month, confirmed Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon today. 

"I heard that he [Shakib] had earlier [before going to the West Indies] told Jalal Yunus that he might not play the ODIs," Hassan told the media after a board meeting at the BCB premises today.  

Hassan, however, informed that the cricketer is yet to officially notify the board regarding the matter. 

"I guess if I talk to him today or tomorrow then I will get to know about it clearly. But he did not notify the board officially yet. But you can consider this as an official notice as he verbally relayed the message to Jalal bhai," added Hassan. 

After the completion of the three-match T20I series, set to begin from July 2, Bangladesh are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against the West Indies, starting from July 10. 

Shakib, who was appointed as the Test skipper just ahead of the Tigers' tour of the Caribbean, was named in squads for all three formats. The all-rounder even snarkily replied to a query from media before leaving for the West Indies that he would indeed play all the formats in the series as he was named in all three squads for the tour.      

Meanwhile, with Shakib unwilling to play the Windies ODIs, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who is usually not considered for the white-ball cricket and was not even included in the ODI and T20I squads for the tour, has now been asked by the team management to stay back in the Caribbean for the entirety of the tour.