Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is unlikely to be available for the ACC Asia Cup 2018 to be held in Dubai next month. Shakib, upon his return from a 38-day long tour of West Indies hinted to the media of undergoing surgery of his injured little finger on his left-hand, on Thursday.
Shakib had injured it during the tri-nations ODI series at home in January this year. The left-arm all-rounder has so far played cricket without a full recovery and the pain has been controlled through injection. A recovery will need Shakib to go under the knife and this will put him on the shelf for around two months.
Thus, going for the operation in the coming days will not allow him to be available for selection for the six-team Asia Cup scheduled to begin in Dubai on September 15.
“The physio will be able tell properly about my condition. We all know that I have to get surgery. We are discussing the best possible time and place for the surgery. I think the sooner the better,” said Shakib to the media at the airport in Dhaka on Thursday.
When querried if operation will be before the Asia Cup, Shakib said: “I think it will most probably be before the Asia Cup.”
Shakib informed he does not want to carry the injury any longer and also not play without full or better fitness.
“I think it is better for me to recover from this and then play. So thinking that way I believe the surgery should happen before Asia Cup,” said Shakib.
On Tuesday, BCB physician Dr Debashish Chowdhury informed the media of Shakib’s need to have surgery and the probable time the cricketer will need to recover.
“He (Shakib) has a dislocation on his little left finger and it’s a problem for him while batting. He is not being able to give 100 percent due to the injury. We are to sit with the team management and Shakib when they come back (from USA). He will need a surgery to recover from this but that will put him off for around two months. You know we have a packed schedule right now so we will need to look for a window in the schedule to make him undergo the surgery,” said Dr Debashish on Tuesday.
Bangladesh following the Asia Cup are to host Zimbabwe and West Indies later this year.
