Shakib Al Hasan is an experienced cricket team player from Bangladesh.© AFP
Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Hasan tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday and was banned from this week’s first test against Sri Lanka, the country’s cricket authorities said.
Shakib returned from the United States on Tuesday and underwent a PCR and rapid antigen test as a condition of joining the team for the series.
“Both tests have given positive results. He will now recover in self-isolation and will be retested in due course. He has been excluded from the first test,” the Bangladesh Cricket Board said in a statement.
The Sri Lankan cricket team is already in Bangladesh for the series of two tests, which begins on May 15 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
The second test will be held in Dhaka from May 23 to 27.
Shakib also missed Bangladesh’s previous test series against South Africa due to a family emergency.
Shakib was set to join the Bangladesh Test squad on Wednesday, two days after the players began training in Chattogram on Monday.
Shakib’s unavailability is a major blow to the home side, who are already without Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed, who were not included in the squad due to injuries.
Bangladesh had previously appointed all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain to cover the injured Mehidy.
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Shoriful Islam is on the test squad, but his entry is subject to a pre-match aptitude test.
It is the fifth Test that Shakib will miss since he played against Pakistan last December. He skipped the New Zealand series for personal reasons and then had to miss the games against South Africa due to illness in his family.
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