“He is still…”: Bangladesh coach opens up on Shakib Al Hasan’s selection for second Test

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on Wednesday said that veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is available for the second Test against India, downplaying concerns around his fitness owing to an injury that he picked up in the opening game.

Shakib had suffered a finger injury during the game in Chennai while facing India pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

The 37-year-old spin all-rounder was introduced into the attack quite late and he bowled only 21 overs in the 2 Indian innings.

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

“At the moment, I haven’t heard from my physio or from anyone. He is still eligible for selection,” Hathurusinghe said after the team’s first training session in Kanpur.

The coach praised Shakib for putting up a great fight against the quality Indian attack in the second innings, in which he scored 25 off 56 balls. In the first innings, he was the top-scorer for the visitors, adding 32 off and 64 balls.

“I am not upset about his performance. Our overall performance, we could have done better. I am sure that he also thinks that he can perform better. We all know what he is capable of,” Hathurusinghe said.

“He batted really well in the second innings. He couldn’t go on, not because of lack of pride. It’s the sheer quality of the opposition,” Hathusuringhe added.

However, Shakib’s form hasn’t been great in red-ball cricket for quite some time now both in the batting and bowling departments. Neither did he perform well against India nor was he among Bangladesh’s top performers in the Test series against Pakistan where the Tigers completed their first-ever red-ball series triumph against the Men in Green.