Agency :
Ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan is set to play the away Test series against South Africa, confirmed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon after finishing Afghanistan ODI series in Chattogram on Monday. Tigers will play two-match Test series, scheduled in March-April.
Earlier yesterday, BCB cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus said Shakib Al Hasan will meet with BCB boss “within the next couple of days” to discuss his Test plans. Shakib had already written to the BCB stating that he would not be available for Test cricket for the next six months, but things are unclear now after he went unsold at the IPL auction two weeks ago, according to Yunus.
Last month, Shakib skipped the Test series against New Zealand, the third time he has taken a break from a series due to personal concerns. He took a leave of absence for the first time during the 2017-18 South African tour, and then he missed the Sri Lanka Tests last year owing to IPL commitments.
Shakib has only played 30 percent of Bangladesh’s Tests since the 2017-18 South Africa series, owing to injury, his one-year suspension for failing to disclose a corrupt approach, and personal reasons.
