"The physio has kept him under observation" - Bangladesh selector on Shakib's availability for IND vs BAN 2024 2nd TestÂ
The Bangladesh physios are closely monitoring veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan ahead of the second Test against India, scheduled to begin from Friday, September 27 onwards in Kanpur. The player was nursing a finger injury during the series opener, which limited his bowling availability.
There was mystery surrounding the lack of Shakib's involvement when it came to Bangladesh's turn with the ball. The pacers wreaked havoc, but it was not until the 52nd over that Shakib was introduced into the attack.
The decision had baffled fans and pundits alike, before Tamim Iqbal issued an update regarding Shakib's injury on-air, initially disclosed by fellow commentator, Murali Kartik.
"I was very surprised that Shakib didn't come and bowl and then I got some info from one of our fellow commentators, Murali Karthik was having a word with him. Apparently, he is having some issues with his finger, which had a surgery, and he is having an issue with his shoulder. So I believe the team management should have known this before the Test matches because if he was not communicated properly, that means Bangladesh is playing with four bowlers, which is very unfortunate," Tamim said on air midway through the first Test.
Bangladesh Cricket Board's chief physician, Debashish, had stated that they were unaware of any such recent injury issues. Shakib's finger injury dates back to the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, while the shoulder injury is what ruled him out midway through the tournament.
Ahead of the second Test in Kanpur, Bangladesh selector, Hannan Sarkar, shed further light on the developments regarding Shakib's availability.
"Shakib is our best player. When he is in the playing eleven, it's easier for us to form the team combination. We always have to think before picking Shakib for the next match and there is time before the next match. We will see what condition he is in," Hannan Sarkar told reporters.
"We know the pain in his hand is being discussed. It was not there before the match and many have tried to explain it in different ways. But before the match, we got a 100 percent clearance from the physio before taking him. He was a 100 percent fit then. You can't say it's an injury. The discomfort he felt in that finger was not there before the match. He felt that when he started to bowl," he added.
Hannan Sarkar further stated that the management are not in a rush to make a decision. There is almost a week-long's gap between the two Tests, with the series opener wrapped up in the early stages of Day 4.
"We don't want to make a decision yet. These two days, the physio has kept him under observation. When we get back to the ground, we will get the physio's feedback," he concluded.
Bangladesh lost the first Test by 280 runs after India piled on the runs across both innings, while Ravichandran Ashwin had the final say in his home ground with a six-fer.
Shakib Al Hasan returned with figures of 0-50 and 0-79 in the first Test against India
The all-rounder had been in good rhythm with the ball, taking nine wickets in the County Championship clash against Somerset recently while bowling 63 overs. However, he could not bowl with the same potency in the Test against India, which was capitalized by the Indian batters.
He conceded 50 runs in the first innings at an economy of 6.25, while he did not fare any better the second time around, leaking 79 runs at an economy of 6.07, and ending the contest wicketless.