ODI World Cup 2023: Shakib Al Hasan Likely To Miss Bangladesh's Opening Encounter Vs Afghanistan- Report
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan can miss their World Cup opener against Afghanistan due to an injury.
Bangladesh's preparations for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023 have hit a roadblock as their captain, Shakib Al Hasan, faces an injury setback. Reports suggest that the veteran all-rounder is likely to miss the two warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and England and might even sit out of the opening clash against Afghanistan.
It is being learnt that the injury is a foot ailment which he sustaned during a warm-up drill in which he was playing football ahead of the tournanent, leaving the veteran all-rounder in discomfort. Cosequently, Shakib did not take the field in Bangladesh's warm-up fixture against Sri Lanka. Medical assessments indicate that he may need at least ten days to recover fully. While there's a slim chance he could regain fitness in time for the match against Afghanistan, Bangladesh is unlikely to take any risks, especially early in the tournament.
Shakib Al Hasan's absence would be a significant blow to the Bangladeshi side. As captain, he plays a pivotal role not only as a leader but also as a key all-rounder in the team, providing balance to the side. His experience and skills are valuable assets, and the team will be hoping for a swift recovery so that he can join the action as soon as possible.
Bangladesh haven't had a great build up to the marquee event in India. Two of their biggest stars in ODI cricket, Shakib and Tamim Iqbal found themselves in the middle of a controversy with Shakib reportedly threatening to skip the World Cup if Tamim, suffering from a persistent back injury is named in the squad for the World Cup. Later, Tamim also responded to the same matter.
"A top-level official of the board who is involved with our cricket called me and told me that you will go to World Cup and we have to make you play by managing [your fitness]," Tamim wrote in a post on his official Facebook page.
"He told, 'do one thing, you don't play the opening game against Afghanistan'. I told him look there is still 10 to 12 days and in 12-13 days I will be in good state so why I should not be playing?. Then he said, 'if you play, we are planning to send you down the order," he added.
"I am playing in the same position for last 17 years and I never batted at three or four. If I was batting at three or four and later my batting position was changed up and down, in that case it could be adjusted. But I don't have any experience batting at three and four position. I was feeling that I am forced in lot of areas willingly, like it is going well let's do something new [to irritate him]," he stated.
However, Shakib had then called Tamim's behaviour "childish" adding fuel to the tensed relationship between the two.
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