Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is all set to miss the 1st phase of the ongoing 2024 Bangladesh Premier League edition which kicked off 2 days ago on January 19th. He is expected to remain out of action for Rangpur Riders as he will be taking a flight to Singapore to treat an eye issue he has been dealing with for quite some time now.
This development was confirmed on Sunday morning by Nurul Hasan, claiming that Shakib Al Hasan will miss all of Rangpur Riders’ matches in the Dhaka phase. If his eye treatment goes well in Singapore then he will join the team for the Sylhet phase starting on January 26 but it all depends upon the seriousness of the issue.
The 36-year-old is dealing with a weakened eyesight problem, something that very few knew about. Nurul Hasan, who is the captain of the Rangpur Riders, disclosed this information yesterday during a press conference at the Shere Bangla National Stadium after his side lost their opening BPL fixture against Barishal Fortunes by 5 wickets.
The CEO of the team, Ishtiaque Sadeque further confirmed this development by stating that Shakib Al Hasan will leave for Singapore today for his treatment and if he is in the right condition post-treatment then he will join the Riders in Sylhet.
“He is leaving for Sylhet today and we are expecting him to be available during the Sylhet phase if he recovers from his eye problem. Let’s hope for the best but if that is not the case we have to play with our available resources.” – the Riders’ CEO said.
The leftie all-rounder has been out of the national side for quite a while now, since the ODI World Cup last year to be specific. He had to leave the tournament mid-way after sustaining a finger injury with Bangladesh finishing in the 8th spot and failing to qualify for next year’s ICC Champions trophy in Pakistan.
Shakib Al Hasan hasn’t returned ever since but he was trying to make his comeback through BPL 2024 before he faced the latest setback. He has also become politically active in the country, winning a parliament seat from the Western region of Magura town by a margin of 150,000 votes in the recently held elections for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party.
Can Shakib Al Hasan Return For Bangladesh In Time For T20 World Cup Amid Sustained Eye Issue?
Shakib Al Hasan has been dealing with a sustained eyesight problem since the World Cup last year and he also went for a checkup in London and returned to Dhaka 2 days before Rangpur Riders’ opening clash. As he looks set to miss their next game, it remains a mystery if he will be back for the national side in time for the ICC T20 World Cup in June.
If Bangladesh is to have a good tournament then Shakib becomes a key element for the team not just with captaincy but also with his all-round skills. Rangpur captain Nurul Hasan claimed that is up to the doctors now to identify what exactly is the issue and how much time is he going to take for a comeback.