BAN vs SL | 1st Test | Shakib Al Hasan set to play against Sri Lanka, confirms Mominul Haque

Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque confirmed that Shakib Al Hasan will play in the first Test match against the visiting Sri Lankan side at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

Shakib was initially ruled out of the first Test after being tested COVID-19 positive last week. But fortunately for Bangladesh, he got a negative result which puts him in contention to play the first Test against Sri Lanka.

In the pre-match press conference, the Bangladeshi captain stated that Shakib looked good while batting in the nets, and he'll play tomorrow.

"He looked good while batting today, I feel. So, yes, he will play tomorrow," Mominul Haque said.

"From what I have seen, he batted really well. I think he will play. The good thing about Shakib is that he is psychologically very strong. If he wants, he can play the game despite the adversities.

He was prepared to play the South Africa Tests, but he had to miss that series due to family problems. He was also doubtful for this series after being contracted Covid-19. But he has now recovered, and I think he is desperate to play," Mominul added.

Since returning from a one-year ban for failing to report a corrupt contact, Shakib has only featured in three of Bangladesh's previous eleven Tests.

Shakib last played in the longest format for Bangladesh against Pakistan in December 2021, and he was forced to skip the New Zealand tour owing to personal issues.

Shakib then missed Bangladesh's previous Test series against South Africa due to a family emergency but played in the subsequent ODI series, which the Bangla Tigers won 2-1.