Eyebrows were raised after premier Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan said that he doesn’t want to play in the upcoming series against South Africa. Though he is included in Bangladesh’s squad for the upcoming series and is expected to be a part of the upcoming games, he has requested a break from international cricket.
The former captain said that he is exhausted after playing constant cricket and is currently not in a good frame of mind for the upcoming South Africa series.
Well, initially Shakib Al Hasan had informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that he wants to only play the limited-overs formats for the most part of 2022. He had also made himself available for the upcoming 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) during Bangladesh’s Tests against South Africa, however, he was not picked by any franchise in the mega-auction. Following this, the BCB assumed that the former captain would be available for the upcoming Test series against Proteas/
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hasan has hit back at Shakib Al Hasan for his statements. Reacting to this, Hasan said:
“It is surprising to be honest. I don’t know what he is saying now but his last conversation with me was in Chattogram where he said he would play and that’s all I know,”
He added: “If he (Shakib) is not willing to play please tell us but it becomes difficult if he informs us at the last minute, then it becomes a problem. We made the plan for South Africa keeping him in mind and now when he says things it does hamper our planning. Members of the coaching staff and the team management are not sure what is happening. Would he have said the same thing if he was picked in the IPL? Would he have said that he is mentally exhausted?”
Further, BCB President also went on to say that Shakib is in a mentally disturbed state. He also said that there is a doubt whether Shakib Al Hasan is enjoying his stint with the national team or not. He said:
“I think he is mentally disturbed. What I feel is why won’t he enjoy playing against Afghanistan because we had beaten them and if any cricketer is not enjoying the success of his team, then it is a big problem,”
The Bangladesh cricket team is scheduled to tour South Africa for two Tests and three ODIs between March 18 to April 11, 2022.
