Injured Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan is still in contention for the upcoming clash against hosts India in the ongoing World Cup. The match is scheduled to be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association in Pune on October 19. Shakib sustained a slight tear on his left quad against New Zealand in Chennai. However, team director Khaled Mahmud has revealed that the skipper is feeling well and will be monitored closely ahead of India clash. It is a cruicial game for Bangladesh as they have lost two out of three matches so far in World Cup 2023.
"Shakib is getting better. He is pain-free. But we will know the full scenario when he hits the nets tomorrow. He will also do running between the wickets. We are hopeful that he can play against India. He worked in a swimming session, and some upper-half work in the gym today. There will be a scan tomorrow which will give us a clearer picture of his situation," Mahmud said.
He also revealed that Shakib Al Hasan is willing to play the game but he cannot be included unless the medical team gives a go ahead. Bangladesh took two days off after their previous game and will be returning to training on Tuesday (October 17). A lot will depend on how Shakib pulls up at the training tomorrow.
"Usually these injuries produce a lot of pain. It is tough to walk around even. Shakib is quite well. It is giving us hope. Shakib wants to play, so if the situation is that he is 85-90% fit, like he was in the last game after getting injured, we are hopeful too. But it depends on his 100% fitness. We don't want him to miss the rest of the tournament after playing one more game. There are six matches remaining. It is the doctor and physio's call. We don't want to trouble him in the long term. If he gets clearance from the physio, he will play," Mahmud added.
