World Cup: Khaled Mahmud hopeful of Shakib Al Hasan's availability for India clash
Oct 17, 2023
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], October 17 : Bangladesh cricket team Director Khaled Mahmud remains optimistic that captain Shakib Al Hasan will play the important game against India in the ongoing ICC World Cup on Thursday.
Mahmud stated that the all-rounder will have a final scan to know his availability in the match against India.
During the New Zealand game, Shakib was injured while running. He bowled his quota of ten overs, but it was evident that he was in pain.
"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 was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
"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 per cent fit like he was in the last game...we are hopeful too. But it depends on his 100 per cent fitness," he added.
With six matches remaining for Bangladesh in the campaign, Mahmud stated that they will continue to be cautious about putting Shakib in danger.
"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.
