Difficult to play 50-60 percent fit Shakib Al Hasan: Russell Domingo​

Shakib-Al-Hasan has been an integral part of Bangladesh cricket since his international debut. An essential participant in the field, Shakib's unavailability has had an inverse effect on the Bangla Tigers. 

Ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, head coach Russell Domingo made it clear that playing Shakib in the XI post his recovery from Covid was not the best plan of action for the hosts.

In a report from Cricbuzz, Domingo said, "Anybody would want a fully fit Shakib in your best XI. It is very difficult to play if he is 50-60 per cent fit," 

The left-hander is expected to join the squad this evening and shall undergo a medical and fitness check. He was to join earlier but went into self-isolation after testing positive for covid-19.

"Coming straight into a Test match, we need to check his fitness and assess where he is. He has just come off COVID, and he hasn't played much cricket. He's obviously a big player for us and balances the team. But we need to see how he is tomorrow. He hasn't batted or bowled for the last two or three weeks. It is five days of cricket. It is hot. There are all sorts of things to consider," he explained.

The all-rounder's last Test was against Pakistan in December 2021 in Mirpur. After that, he was not picked for the New Zealand tour and only played the ODI leg of Bangladesh's tour to South Africa.

The first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on May 15. The 2nd Test will be played from May 23- 27 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.