Bangladesh Test captain Shakib al Hasan has been ruled out from the first of two Test matches against Sri Lanka, scheduled to start Wednesday, after suffering an injury in his left hand finger during the tri-nation ODI series final against the Lankans at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Saturday.
The BCB officially announced it through a press release Saturday evening when the grand finale was being played.
In the press release, BCB's senior physician Dr Debashish Chowdhury said the x-ray report had come clear but the injury required stitches: “The x-ray did not find any fracture. However, there is subluxation/joint sprain at the base of the little finger in his left hand. He has been assessed by a cosmetic surgeon and necessary repairs have been done. The affected finger will have to be immobilised for at least a week before further assessment is made which means he is out of the first Test in Chittagong.”
Shakib was named as the new Bangladesh Test captain recently, replacing wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim.
Shakib took a break from the away Test series against South Africa in September last year and was supposed to return to the longest format of the game through this home series against Sri Lanka.
But Shakib’s injury may rule him out from the second and final Test as well.
Vice captain Mahmudullah is supposed to lead the side in the absence of Shakib.
Shakib suffered the injury in his left hand finger in the first ball of the 42nd over, bowled by paceman Mustafizur Rahman to Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal. Shakib sprinted in from extra-cover, threw himself forward, tried the pick-up-and-scoop to the bowler's end, but failed to collect the ball cleanly.
Later, he was removed from the field and all-rounder Nasir Hossain fielded for him in the rest of the innings.
Shakib bowled five overs before being injured, conceding 20 runs without taking a wicket. The all-rounder has been in good form batting in the important No 3 spot for Bangladesh, having scored eight, 51, 67 and 37 in the tri-series.
The first Test will be played in Chittagong's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Cricket Stadium.
