Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan has been shown available for all three formats of cricket as the Bangladesh Cricket Board Thursday declared the name of 21 cricketers under the central contract for the term January to December 2022.
Speculation has been rife Shakib is not willing to play Test cricket anymore and thus missed out from majority of the matches for Bangladesh in past two years.
But the BCB declaration now hints at a a change in scenario.
BCB in its last central contract had involved 24 cricketers.
Five players - Saifuddin, Abu Jayed, Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hasan and Shamim Hossain - from the last lot have missed out from the new contract.
Jayed and Saif in the previous term were contracted for Test cricket only while Soumya and Shamim were under T20 category.
Saifuddin in the previous term was under ODI and T20I.
On the other hand, Yasir Ali Chowdhury and Mahmudul Hasan Joy have earned their maiden central contracts.
As per the new contracts only five cricketers have been signed to play all three formats of the game for the national team.
Seven cricketers are signed to play Test cricket only, four are under T20I while three have been signed to play both ODI and T20I.
All three formats:
Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib al Hasan, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Shariful Islam
Test and ODI:
Tamim Iqbal, Mehedi Hasan Miraz
ODI and T20I:
Mahmudullah, Mustafizur Rahman, Afif Hossain
Only Test:
Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shadman Islam, Yasir Ali Rabbi, Ebadat Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan Joy
Only T20I:
Mohammad Naim, Mahedi Hasan, Nurul Hasan, Nasum Ahmed