Bangladesh captain Shakib al Hasan’s injury has become quite a mystery as the Tigers team management is playing hide-and-seek with the media regarding the exact status of the injury and the time frame for how long the star all-rounder will be out of action.
Shakib got injured and looked in pain while batting during the World Cup game against New Zealand in Chennai on October 13 but later bowled 10 overs in that match.
He was rushed to the hospital for a scan even before finishing the game as vice-captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto later came to the post-match presentation in his stead.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson also got injured during the match as he was struck on his hand by a throw while completing a run.
Williamson also went to the hospital for a scan and a few hours later New Zealand Cricket announced that their regular skipper had a fractured thumb and will be out for around a month.
As for Shakib, Bangladesh team management did not reveal anything regarding the scale of the injury and remained tightlipped.
Bangladesh Cricket Board later issued a press release on Shakib’s injury quoting national team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan.
“The player felt uncomfortable in the left quadriceps region when he was batting. He later fielded and completed his full quota of 10 overs. He had an MRI scan done after the game and we will continue to observe his fitness for the coming matches. We will clinically assess his day-to-day progress and take measures accordingly,” said the press release.
But that statement did not indicate any specific information on Shakib’s injury, like whether he has a grade one or two tear or how long he will be out.
Shakib practiced two days later and batted for almost 45 minutes.
Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha told the media on the eve of the India game that Shakib was set to undergo another scan and the decision over whether he will play will be taken after getting the report.
As per plan he went for another scan before the match and the result of this report was not revealed either and eventually, Shakib did not feature against the Indians last Thursday in Pune.
In the event of a grade one tear, it usually takes seven to 10 days to heal and if the injury is more severe then it will take longer to recover.
The Tigers team management did not take any risks on Shakib by playing him against India as Bangladesh had five more games after that in the group stage.
It is likely that Shakib might feature against South Africa in Mumbai Tuesday, but the mystery surrounding his injury update created by team management raises questions.
Why is BCB playing hide-and-seek about Shakib’s injury update?