Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided to “rest” Shakib Al Hasan from all forms of the game citing “the physical and mental condition” of the allrounder.
It means the 34-year-old southpaw will miss out on the Tigers trip to South Africa later this month. In a press briefing on Wednesday, Jalal Yunus, chief of BCB cricket operations, said Shakib is in no condition to play cricket now due to his physical and mental state.
The board made the move after speaking with Shakib, who is in Dubai now, over the phone. “Before travelling abroad, Shakib mentioned that he was under stress both mentally and physically. I asked him to think it over for a couple of days, after which I spoke to him today and asked what he planned to do.
“He said he was unfit physically and mentally to play cricket and wanted to drop out of the team’s South Africa tour. We decided to rest Shakib in his interest.” Bangladesh will host Sri Lanka for a two-Test series in May. Shakib’s rest extends until Apr 30 due to that series. The management will discuss his future after he returns home on Thursday, Yunus said.
