Shakib Al Hasan has tested negative for Covid-19, Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), said on Friday, three days after the ace all-rounder was diagnosed with the disease.
He is expected to join the team soon, even though it is not clear if Shakib will play the first Test, reports UNB.
However, Russell Domingo, the head coach of Bangladesh, said he is not willing to include an unfit Shakib.
“It's not easy to recover from Covid-19 quickly,” Nazmul Hasan, the BCB president, told the media in Chattogram on his way to Cox's Bazar. “It's up to Shakib if he can play the first Test. It would have been easy for him if it was an ODI or a T20 match."
Meanwhile, Domingo on Friday said, “Coming straight into a Test match (is tough).
“We need to check his fitness and assess where he is. He has just come off Covid, and he hasn’t played much cricket. He’s obviously a big player for us, and balances the team. But we need to see how he is tomorrow. He hasn’t batted or bowled for the last two or three weeks. It is five days of cricket. It is hot (here in Chattogram). There are all sorts of things to consider.”
The first Test will commence on May 15 in Chattogram while the second and final Test of the series will take place in Dhaka from May 23.
This series is part of the ICC World Test Championship. Bangladesh played six matches in this event and won only one against New Zealand earlier this year.
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