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Jalal Yunus, Chairman of Cricket Operations for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), recently addressed the topic of Shakib Al Hasan’s availability for the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan. Yunus revealed that he had discussed Shakib’s participation with the star all-rounder, who is currently leading the Bangla Tigers Mississauga in the Global T20 Canada League.
Under Shakib’s captaincy, the Bangla Tigers are performing well, currently holding second place in the six-team league. They’ve secured victories in three out of their four group stage matches so far. The tournament is set to wrap up on August 11.
Shakib’s performance during the T20 World Cup 2024 came under scrutiny after Bangladesh’s team made it to the Super 8 stage but did not advance to the semi-finals. Speculation arose about his potential retirement from one of the formats, but Shakib has not made any official announcement regarding stepping down from international cricket.
Shakib Al Hasan Is Available For The Pakistan Series – Jalal Yunus
Jalal Yunus has confirmed that Shakib Al Hasan is eager to play in the forthcoming Test series against Pakistan. Yunus mentioned that Shakib plans to arrive in Dhaka a few days ahead of the series to participate in practice sessions. However, if time constraints prevent him from arriving in Dhaka early, Shakib will join the team directly from Dubai.
“We spoke with Shakib, and he is available for the Pakistan series. If he doesn’t have time, he will leave directly from Dubai, or he might come to Dhaka to practice for a day or two before joining the team. He will be available for the Pakistan series,” he told reporters.
Shakib Al Hasan has been occupied with T20 cricket recently. His last appearance for Bangladesh was at the 2024 T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the USA. Following that, he competed for the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024. Currently, Shakib is engaged in the Global T20 Canada league.
Shakib Al Hasan has played just four Tests since 2023.
Over the past two years, Shakib Al Hasan has participated in just four Test matches out of the eight played by the Bangladesh team. He was absent from the one-off Test against Afghanistan last year and the home series against New Zealand due to a finger injury sustained during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
The 37-year-old all-rounder also missed the first Test against Sri Lanka but made his return for the second Test in Chattogram. The forthcoming Test series against Pakistan is set to start on August 21 in Rawalpindi, with the second match scheduled at the National Stadium in Karachi from August 30 to September 3.
This series is part of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, where Bangladesh currently occupies the eighth spot in the WTC standings with a Points Percentage of 25.00, having secured just one win out of four matches. After facing Pakistan, Bangladesh will embark on a challenging Test tour of India.
