BAN vs SL: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan tests negative for COVID-19, may play Test against Sri Lanka
BAN vs SL: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has tested negative for COVID-19 and is expected to play in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram on May 15.
After testing positive for COVID-19, Hasan initially ruled out of the first test against Sri Lanka at Chattogram. According to ESPNCricinfo, the star all-rounder proved negative for the virus in PCR and rapid antigen tests, both of which required for him to join the team. The 35-year-old is Bangladesh’s best Test wicket-taker and the world’s number four Test all-rounder, as well as the number one in one-day internationals.
Bangladesh’s head coach, Russell Domingo, was less optimistic about Shakib’s chances of returning to the squad so quickly after recuperating from Covid.
“Anybody would want a fully-fit Shakib in your best XI, but it very difficult to play if he 50-60 per cent fit. Coming straight into a Test match, we need to check his fitness and assess where he is. He has just come off Covid, and he hasn’t played much cricket. He’s obviously a big player for us and balances the team. But we need to see how he is tomorrow. He hasn’t batted or bowled for the last two or three weeks. It is five days of cricket. It is hot. There are all sorts of things to consider,” ESPNcricinfo quotes Russell Domingo as saying.
“I have had Covid badly, so the energy is not quite the same. You can’t go into a (Test match) straightaway. It is not a T20 or ODI which is done in six or seven overs. It is going to happen for over five days. Of course, we want him to play, he one of the best cricketers that ever played. But we need to make sure that he gives himself the best chance to perform and fulfill his role. Bowl at least 15 overs a day, bat for three or four overs in the top six,” he added.
Mosaddek Hossain, who previously drafted into the Test team as an additional replacement for Mehidy Hasan Miraz, considered by Domingo because he provides a bowling option while still batting in the top seven. Hasan forced to miss the New Zealand series and later the South Africa tests owing to a family ailment. Since his one-year ban, he has only played in three of his country’s eleven tests.
Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series, beginning on May 15 at Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
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