The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sidelined ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan from international cricket until April 30th. The left-hander shall skip the team’s forthcoming South Africa tour, which has been slated to take place from March 12 to April 8. Shakib, who was appointed to the ODI team a few days earlier, is likely to travel with the team. Here we have discussed why BCB Grants Rest To Shakib.

Furthermore, Shakib had stated a willingness to have a rest from international cricket due to ‘physical and mental stress.’ The 34-year-old had also stated that he needed a “long-term approach” to handle his presence at the international level.

”He called me and said that I am not physically and mentally fit to play and want to skip the South Africa series and we have decided to give him rest till April 30,” BCB cricket operation chairman Jalal Yunus.

BCB is the authority and they can dictate: Khaled Mahmud

The left-handed batsman also voiced his displeasure, claiming he was considered as a “passenger” on Bangladesh’s international assignment versus Afghanistan in recent and that he had disappointed himself & his side down. He merely scored 74 runs in 3 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 2 Twenty-Twenty-Internationals (T20Is) versus Afghanistan, however, he took 7 scalps.

“I don’t want to waste the time or someone’s spot,” he had said. “Playing in this way, as a passenger, it will be like betraying or cheating my teammates and the country,” Shakib said previously.

Shakib Al Hasan was slated to play in both the One-Day Internationals and Tests versus South Africa. As per BCB chief Nazmul Hassan, the senior player has acknowledged his participation in the Test series after previously informing the board that he did not really want to participate in the series.

In response to the all-rounder’s flip in position over his presence for Bangladesh, Nazmul stated that, while they are gentle on their players, the sportsmen must be professional in their devotion to the national team.

“He will come tomorrow, talk with the BCB president and tell him about his plan,” he said. “Now it’s time for a full stop because enough is enough,” said BCB technical director Khaled Mahmud.

“The BCB is the authority and they can dictate. He (Shakib) can’t say that I’ll play or I won’t play. If somebody doesn’t want to play then he has the right to quit. If he wants to play then he will play. If he needs a break then he will take a break. No one is stopping anyone”.

“We can’t force him to play because cricket is a game with mentality. If he isn’t mentally strong then obviously it will be difficult for him because the South African conditions will be difficult”, he concluded.

Also read: Ravindra Jadeja Topped In ICC Men’s Test All-Rounder Rankings