Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has granted all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan permission to skip the upcoming tour of New Zealand after receiving a letter from him. He is currently playing in the ongoing second Test against Pakistan in Dhaka.
There was some confusion about Shakib’s availability for the New Zealand tour after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) included the all-rounder in Bangladesh’s 20-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against the Kiwis later this month.
It is being said that Shakib had only informed the BCB "unofficially" that he wanted to skip the New Zealand tour, but he had later requested leave from the board officially, citing family reasons.
However, the BCB president, Nazmul Hasan, has confirmed that the board has accepted Shakib’s leave request, but he should have officially asked for the same in advance so that they could plan accordingly.
This is the third time in 2021 that Shakib has skipped a tour for Bangladesh – he first opted out of the white-ball tour of New Zealand in March due to paternity leave, before missing the two Tests against Sri Lanka in April to play in the IPL 2021. He also missed the first Test against Pakistan with an injury.
Nazmul was quoted by Dhaka Tribune: “Yes, Shakib has been granted the leave. We have accepted his request. His [Shakib] matter is different. He is not injured and he did not ask for rest. He has asked for a break due to family reasons.”
He also said that Shakib should have asked for the leave officially. The BCB President further said, “This [the confusion] is not embarrassing, to be honest. We simply didn't know about it, officially. The thing is, these things have always happened unofficially. Now, to avoid confusion, we are emphasizing that these matters should be official.”
Nazmul continued, “We need to rest or give break [to the cricketers] if needed. Let it be a key member of the team or not. We have been saying for a long time that we have no objection if a player wants to take a break or rest, but it has to be informed officially, they cannot simply come and say that they are not available.”
He signed off by saying, “The thing is we want to be informed about such a decision in advance as it is difficult for us if it is informed suddenly. From January, if anyone wants a break, he has to inform us in advance so that we can prepare alternatives. This process will help us in the selection process.”
Notably, Bangladesh is scheduled to travel to New Zealand to play a two-match Test series that will be a part of the 2021–2023 cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.
The first Test will be played from January 1 at Bay Oval in Tauranga, with the second and final Test being held at Hagley Oval in Christchurch from January 9.
The entire Bangladesh contingent will have to undergo a 7-day quarantine on arrival before starting training and playing two two-day practice games – one intra-squad against a New Zealand XI.
(With ANI Inputs)
