SA vs Ban: Bangladesh rest all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for tour

DHAKA: Bangladesh said on Wednesday that all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will be suspended from all cricket until April 30 after the star asked to withdraw from the forthcoming South African tour.

“Shakib told us he was mentally fatigued and physically stressed,” Bangladesh Cricket Board operations chief Jalal Yunus told reporters in Dhaka.

“He does not want to go to South Africa. Considering his (lack of) interest, we thought he should be given rest.”

Shakib did not respond immediately, but the 34-year-old claimed over the weekend that he needs a break and would like to skip the tour.

Shakib remarked on Sunday that he felt like a “passenger” in the team and was not in the right mental state to play after a succession of disappointing performances in the home series against Afghanistan.

He made the remarks before departing on a personal trip to the United Arab Emirates.

“If I get a break, if I get my interest back, I can play with more ease,” he added.

Shakib scored 14 runs and got two wickets in two T20 matches against Afghanistan last week.

He scored 60 runs and took only five wickets in the three-match One-Day International series.

He had already been picked in the Test and ODI squads for the upcoming series in South Africa.

But he said: “I don’t think I should be in the South Africa tour with such a mentality. I want to meet everyone’s expectations when I am playing.

“There’s no guarantee of my best performance… I don’t want to waste the time or someone’s spot.

“Playing in this way, as a passenger, it will be like betraying or cheating my teammates and the country,” he added.

Shakib reportedly asked for leave to play in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 event after missing Bangladesh’s previous Test series against New Zealand.

However, he went unsold in the IPL auction, allowing him to return to the Test team.

Shakib Al Hasan only appeared in three of Bangladesh’s seven Test matches in 2021.

Bangladesh will sail to South Africa on Thursday, where they will play three One-Day Internationals and two Tests in March and April.

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