Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh allrounder, is expected to skip the two-match Test series against South Africa in March and April. The away One-Day International series against South Africa will be played from 18 March to 23 March, while the Test series is scheduled to be started on 31 March.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) cricket operation chairman Jalal Yunus confirmed to media that the Southpaw has discussed with the board regarding the ODI series but his availability in the Test series is still pending.
The all-rounder will be available for the three-match ODI series before joining the Indian Premier League if he gets selected by any club for the prestigious event, which begins on March 27.
“Shakib will play the ODI series in South Africa. We have not discussed the Test series with him yet” Jalal said.
Earlier, BCB has informed the BCCI that their top all-rounder will be unavailable for the IPL from May 8 to 23. At that time, Bangladesh is set to play two Tests against Sri Lanka as part of the ICC Test Championship.
Shakib had also skipped the Tests in New Zealand, and he recently disclosed that he was considering retiring from Test cricket because it was becoming difficult to play all three formats.