Shakib Al Hasan tests positive for Covid-19, to miss the first Test against Sri Lanka

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has tested positive for Covid-19 and will not be part of the opening Test against Sri Lanka. The 35-year-old returned from USA on May 9 but had to return home instead of joining the squad in Chattogram. He will be in isolation for the next five days. It will be a huge miss for the home nation as he offers a lot to the side in terms of both batting and bowling departments.

The first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka starts on the 15th of May in Chattogram while the second and final Test gets underway on the 23rd of May in Dhaka. Both tests will be part of the World Test Championship 2021-23 and there will be some crucial points to grab as well.

BCB Chairman confirms Shakib Al Hasan has tested positive

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Cricket Board operation chairman Jalal Yunus confirmed that Shakib will miss the first of the two Tests against Sri Lanka. Shakib had earlier missed the New Zealand Test tour due to personal reasons and in the tour of South Africa, he had to return back home after the ODIs on account of his family’s health issues. He is one of the important players in the squad and Bangladesh have always looked up to him as a match-winner in all formats.

“Shakib tested COVID positive and will not be available for the opening Test against Sri Lanka,” Jalal Yunus, BCB’s cricket operation chairman, confirmed to Cricbuzz on Tuesday (May 10).

Bangladesh has already lost the services of Mehidy Hasan Miraz for the first Test after he was injured in the Dhaka Premier League while Taskin Ahmed is yet to recover completely from his shoulder injury.

Bangladesh squad for the first Test: Mominul Haque Showrab (Captain), Tamim Iqbal Khan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Kumar Das, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Qazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Shohidul Islam, Shoriful Islam (subject to fitness), Mosaddek Hossain Saikat.