Domingo laments lack of Tests
A decision about Shakib Al Hasan's availability for the second and final Test against the West Indies will be taken within the coming days after the star all-rounder suffered a thigh injury on the second day of the ongoing first Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
Shakib recovered in time for the Test series after suffering a groin injury in the third and final ODI against the same opponents prior to the Test series and even scored a half-century on his return in the first innings.
And although he did not seem a hundred per cent fit before the start of the first Test, Shakib had more bad luck as he incurred a fresh injury while trying to stop the ball off his own bowling.
"He has a bit of strain in his thigh. He has been having treatment for the past day or two. The decision over his availability for the next Test will be made in the next couple of days. Nothing is confirmed yet. We are still giving him a little time to see how he gets on," Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo told the media yesterday.
There was discussion about putting more emphasis on Test cricket, especially away from home, after Domingo filled the Tigers' vacancy in 2019, but the South African expressed disappointment at Bangladesh not being able to play enough Tests compared to other teams around the world.
"We really want to focus on Test cricket. We want to improve. We know our performance hasn't been good away from home. In saying that, the team needs to play more Tests. I look at some teams that have played 16-17 Tests in the World Test Championship, and I think we have played three. So, it is very difficult to get some form, consistency, and style of play when you are playing three or four Tests per year. It is a double-edged sword because the more we play, the better we will become. Hopefully, our performances can improve," he said.
Expectations of the pacers were high and all the buzz was about giving seamers enough exposure, with the selectors even including five pacers in the 18-member Test squad for the West Indies series. But it came as a surprise to many after Bangladesh opted to field just one seamer in the form of left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman for the first Test.
"I am always one to try to get fast bowlers into the side but it's very difficult on a wicket like this. That's the challenge. If we look at the West Indies bowling attack, they've got two very experienced fast bowlers in Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel. But they got maybe three wickets for 230 runs in this Test. This wicket is very tough for fast bowling. There's no pace and not much bounce. We have to consider those facts when we are playing in Bangladesh," Domingo said.
The 46-year-old also praised skipper Mominul Haque, who scored his seventh Test hundred in Chattogram. It was also his tenth overall, the most by any Bangladesh batsman.
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