Shakib should have let us know

AKRAM KHAN

Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's assertion during an interview with The Daily Star this week that he would have been better off playing only the limited overs series in Zimbabwe brings into question some recent selection calls made by the board.
Shakib, who went under the knife in late February and was recovering from an injury on his right leg, was initially selected only as a batsman for Bangladesh's Test series against Zimbabwe. He however ended up bowling in both the matches and scored two half-centuries in the second Test.
In the interview, the left-hander stated that while he may have been 'fit to play', he was not 'fit to perform' and that he would have preferred playing a few T20s to get 'back into rhythm' rather than playing the Tests in Zimbabwe.
Replying to Shakib's statement, chief selector Akram Khan said, “The tour of Zimbabwe was obviously a very important one for us and we wanted to field the best possible team. We needed a strong team to play the Tests and that's why we chose him.”
“We took the decision according to what the team's physio said and I personally think Shakib played well. He scored an 80-odd in one of the innings. He should have expressed his views beforehand,” he added.
When asked as to why the all-rounder had not stated his views, Shakib, during the interview had said," I know how the Bangladesh Cricket Board works and I don't think that would have worked, which is why I didn't say anything…even in the news there were lots of reports saying that for someone money is bigger than the national team. My point is if money was everything then I have foregone IPL's 3 crores this year.”
Many described the selection of 'half-fit' players before the Zimbabwe tour as desperate measures. Other than Shakib's selection, the selection of Tamim Iqbal who was recovering from a thumb fracture and narrowly won a race against time to play in the second Test raised eyebrows. The decision to ask Mashrafe Bin Mortaza to return to the Test fold after a gap of four years despite the fact that he was recovering from a heel injury was the other instance of desperation from the selectors.