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BCB Rests Shakib from All Forms of International Cricket

Shakib had earlier hinted at taking an international break due to his "physical and mental state" || Photo: Collected

Shakib had earlier hinted at taking an international break due to his "physical and mental state" || Photo: Collected

Shakib Al Hasan has been "rested" from all forms of international cricket till April 30, the BCB said on Wednesday. He will now miss Bangladesh's upcoming Test and ODI tour of South Africa, scheduled to run from March 12 to April 8. The BCB has not named a replacement for Shakib and, for now, the ODI squad will travel to South Africa without him.

On Sunday, Shakib had hinted at taking an international break because of his "physical and mental state", saying that he needed a "long-term plan" to manage his game time. Shakib said that he felt like a "passenger" in the just-concluded Afghanistan white-ball series, where he made 74 runs and took seven wickets in the three ODIs and two T20Is.

"I don't want to waste the time or someone's spot," he had said. "Playing in this way, as a passenger, it will be like betraying or cheating my teammates and the country."

Shakib's comments provoked a strong response from BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon, who questioned the allrounder's commitment to the national team, asking whether he would have wanted a similar break from the IPL had he been picked in the auction.

Shakib had initially informed the BCB that he wanted to only play the white-ball formats for the most part of 2022. He made himself available for the IPL during Bangladesh's Tests against South Africa in March and April, but after he wasn't picked up by any of the franchises, the BCB assumed that he'd be available for the forthcoming South Africa Tests.

"I think it is logical to think that if he was in a poor physical and mental state, he wouldn't have given his name in the IPL [auction]," Hassan had said. "But he went ahead with it. So, does it mean that if he got his IPL contract, he would have said the same thing?

"We can't do anything if he doesn't want to play [for Bangladesh]. But he can't keep saying I will play this game, I won't play that game. We are soft on those who we love, but they also have to be professional. Otherwise we will have to take decisions that no one will like."

Shakib was originally named in both squads for the South Africa tour after Hassan claimed that the allrounder had agreed to go for the full series.

However, Shakib said that he was having second thoughts on his fitness during the Afghanistan series, and clarified that he had asked the BCB for a break from all Tests till mid-November: "I told the board that I wanted to stay out of Tests till November 22 this year. I wanted to concentrate fully on white-ball cricket. We have two World Cups in the next two years."

Shakib had also skipped the Test series in New Zealand last month; it was the third time he took leave from a series for personal reasons. The first time he took such a leave of absence was during the tour of South Africa in 2017-18 and then he skipped the Sri Lanka Tests last year due to his IPL commitments.

Since the start of 2017, Shakib has played only 15 of the 33 Tests Bangladesh have played, the reasons for his absences including injury, his one-year suspension for not reporting a corrupt approach, and personal leave.

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