Shakib to play Tests in SA: BCB President

Clouds around Shakib Al Hasan playing in Bangladesh’s two-match Test series in South Africa has seemingly disappeared as the Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hassan said on Monday that the all-rounder will be available for the series.

Bangladesh will tour South Africa later this month to play three ODIs and two Tests. Shakib was available to play in the One-Day Internationals, but asked for a six-month leave from Tests, starting with the series against the Proteas.

He asked for this leave to play in the Indian Premier League and BCB had granted him leave before the IPL auction, but as the all-rounder remained unsold, the situation has changed.

BCB President Nazmul, after Bangladesh’s third ODI against Afghanistan, confirmed that Shakib will also be playing the Test series in South Africa.

“As he won’t be playing in IPL, I see no reason that he won’t be playing in Tests against South Africa. He is going to South Africa to play ODIs. So, won’t he play the Tests? What will he do, fly back home? He will play.

“I told him today (Monday) that I will talk to him after the Tests against South Africa, he smiled and told me, ‘whatever you say’. So, he will definitely play in the Tests against South Africa,” Nazmul told the media on Monday.

Nazmul said that Champaka Ramanayake, the fast bowling coach of the Bangladesh High-Performance team and the bowling coach of the Bangladesh Tigers, will travel to South Africa with the team.

“We have not had concrete talks with anyone for the bowling coach role. Champaka will go to South Africa with the team,” he said.