No Shakib Al Hasan in New Zealand tour

 

Sports Live: Bangladesh cricket team will not get the service of ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in their next month’s New Zealand tour as Bangladesh Cricket Board has granted him paternity leave, said a BCB official.

Director of cricket operations at the BCB, Akram Khan told the media on Thursday that they have granted his leave application.

‘No, Shakib is not going [to New Zealand]. He lodged an application [for leave] to stay with his [expecting] wife. After talking to the board president, we granted his leave',’ Akram said.

Shakib, who is not playing the Dhaka Test due to a thigh injury, is now under the surveillance and treatment of the BCB medical team in Dhaka as he continues to recover.

The murmurs of Shakib skipping the New Zealand tour first started during the three-match one-day international series against West Indies and the all-rounder told the media after the series that he was irritated that inside talks were getting leaked to the media.

Shakib's wife Umme Ahmed Shishir, who is now in the USA, is expecting their third child. Bangladesh cricket team will likely leave for New Zealand on February 24 and will have a training camp in New Zealand before the series begins, informed Akram.

‘Chances are low to hold camp in Bangladesh. Keeping the players always in quarantine or bio-bubble is very difficult. After the series we will send them on vacation. After that we might take them from here to there [New Zealand] and train,’ Akram said.

The BCB director also said that they are negotiating with New Zealand Cricket for longer training period and some ease in restrictions.

‘In this COVID situation, staying in isolation is very hard. Playing international cricket is a matter of pressure and on top of that the pressure of staying in isolation. We will discuss with them [NZC] so that the players can train a bit longer and also get some added advantage.’

Bangladesh will play three ODIs and three Twenty20 matches in New Zealand, the ODI matches will be the part of ICC World Cup Super League which is the qualification process for 2023 World Cup. The ODI series will begin on March 20 and the T20 series will commence from March 28.

Dhaka, 11 February (campuslive24.com)//bcs

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