‘It can’t be that he is fit for IPL but not for us’

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan reiterated that Test skipper Shakib Al Hasan -- out of the Tigers lineup due to a finger injury – will be handed permission to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) if he is fit.

Shakib was ruled out of Bangladesh's ODI series against New Zealand which the Tigers lost 3-0. He did not recover in time for the first Test which Bangladesh lost by an innings and 52 runs and is still in doubt for the remaining two Tests. The BCB president informed that Shakib underwent a test and would need seven more days of rest before starting any cricketing activities. Nazmul put emphasis on the fact that it was more important for Shakib to gain complete fitness instead of playing matches.

"What I heard is that he underwent a test yesterday and he was prescribed a further seven days rest. So that' the main thing. I don't think it's absolutely necessary for him to play the third Test because the World Cup is coming up," Nazmul said.

"If he has a problem then we want him to recover fully before returning to cricket. We don't want to take any risks with him," he added.

Risk aversion was in BCB's mind but Shakib, who according to the BCB president had also expressed wish to play in the DPL T20 tournament which concluded today, might want to play in the upcoming IPL, scheduled to start from March 23.

"If he is not fully ok then how will he play the IPL? It can't be that he is only unfit for our national team but fit for the IPL. If he is fully ok and the doctors say so then he will be able to play in the IPL," Nazmul reiterated.

"We want him to play in both IPL and for the national team so the whole thing depends on his health," he concluded.