Bangladesh’s captain Shakib Al Hasan watches the ball after playing a shot during the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on November 6, 2023. — AFP
In a big blow for Bangladesh, their skipper Shakib Al Hasan was ruled out of the World Cup 2023 as he suffered an injury to his left index finger, it emerged on Tuesday.
Shakib suffered the injury while batting in Bangladesh’s match against Sri Lanka in Delhi yesterday.
The left-hander will miss Bangladesh’s last match of the tournament against Australia in Pune on November 11.
Bangladesh team’s physio Bayjedul Islam Khan also gave further details about Shakib’s injury.
“Shakib was struck on his left index finger early in his innings but continued to bat with supportive taping and painkillers,” he said.
“He underwent an emergency X-ray in Delhi after the game which confirmed the fracture on the left PIP joint. Recovery is estimated at three to four weeks. He will leave for Bangladesh today to begin his rehab.”
It must be noted that Shakib scored a match-winning 82 from 65 balls, comprising 12 fours and two sixes, to help his side register a three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. He also bagged figures of 2/57 with the ball. The all-round performance also fetched him the Player of the Match award.
Earlier, Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews called for “justice” from the ICC and claimed that Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan is “a cheat” on his social media after becoming the first player to be ‘timed out’ in international cricket at the World Cup on Monday.
When a batter is dismissed, the newcomer should be ready to face a ball within two minutes of the fall of a wicket but Mathews was not.
Mathews was ready to take strike when the strap of his helmet broke. The former Sri Lanka captain called for a new helmet and while that wait ensued, Shakib appealed with the umpires consequently ruling the batter timed out.
