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Bangladesh national team selectors expressed their helplessness about Shakib Al Hasan as they had picked him for the One-Day International and Test series against South Africa but for the second time this year, the player opted out after the squads were announced.
Ahead of Bangladesh leaving for South Africa for three ODIs and Two Tests on Friday, chief selector Minhazul Abedin and selector Abdur Razzak briefed the media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium regarding the tour and BCB’s central contract announced on Thursday.
There, Minhazul said Shakib denying to play was like a disaster.
“Of course, it feels bad if someone opts out after announcing the squad. There is a plan for the series, and squads are given according to that. Shakib not going is definitely like a disaster. If he doesn’t want to, we can’t force him to play. We have to give our best with what we have. The players in the squad are able and play good cricket. Hopefully, it will be a good series,” he said.
This is the second time in a short time that Shakib has opted out of a series after being included in the squad. He was included in the away series against New Zealand in January but took a leave citing personal reasons. And the same situation repeated once again with a bigger drama.
Shakib, who had previously asked for a six-month leave from Tests to play in the Indian Premier League, remained unsold in the auction and told BCB President Nazmul Hassan that he will play in South Africa and was included in the official squads.
On March 6, the all-rounder said he was not mentally and physically ready to play international cricket and that playing would be cheating with his teammates. BCB, despite saying they would opt for a hard-line, eventually granted Shakib a leave till April 30.
Selector Habibul Bashar, before leaving for South Africa with the team, said they would miss Shakib but still hoped to do well.
“We will obviously miss Shakib. With him, the team is more balanced. But I am not thinking about it right now. I am thinking about the current team. We believe we can do well with this team.
“You will not always get your best player. Whoever plays in that position is your best player then, and you have to try with them. We have previously played well without our best, and I believe this team can too,” Bashar told the media on Friday.
Shakib, since his return from a one-year ban imposed by the International Cricket Council, has played only three out of the nine Bangladesh have played. Among the six missed, he missed two for personal reasons, two to play in the IPL, and two due to injury, and he will miss two more in South Africa.
Despite Shakib’s recent reluctance to the red-ball format, BCB included him in their contract for all three formats.
Minhazul and his fellow selector Abdur Razzak said that Shakib had made himself available for all three formats earlier, but discussions will follow once the all-rounder returns to Bangladesh.
“According to the information we have, Shakib is available for three formats. We want his best performances, so we gave him contracts for all three formats. We submitted the list of players a month back, and we will talk to him after he returns (to Bangladesh). Hopefully, he will be refreshed and will play in all three formats,” the chief selector said.
“Just because someone takes leave from two series, we can’t keep him in the contract for three formats. Shakib has not retired from any of the formats yet. If he doesn’t opt out of any of the formats, it’s difficult for the board to dismiss him. We have not talked with Shakib about him opting out of a format. Once we do that, you will get to know,” Razzak said.
