Bangladesh head into the crucial encounter against Sri Lanka in Bristol with one eye on the weather and the other firmly on the fitness of talismanic all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Shakib picked up a thigh injury while battling with the bat in the losing cause against England in Cardiff.
Despite receiving treatment on the field, the left-hander soldiered on to score his eighth century in One-day Internationals. But Shakib missed training in Bristol on Monday even though he was at the ground.
While it was difficult to gauge the seriousness of the issue initially as the all-rounder often eases through training the day before a match, it soon became apparent that the pain in his thigh had not receded.
He later went for a scan at the end of the session after the team returned to their hotel.
The report indicates that the injury is not too serious but it has thrown his participation against Sri Lanka into doubt, team manager Khaled Mahmud told bdnews24.com.
“We were waiting to see how he was after the last match. We sent him for a scan as he felt quite a bit of pain and unease. The report revealed that he suffered a Grade 1 strain.”
“We don’t think it’s too serious for the time being. He shouldn’t have much difficulty playing tomorrow. But a decision will be made after taking stock of how Shakib feels and if there are any risks to playing him.”
Shakib has been far and away Bangladesh’s best performer at the World Cup so far. He is the tournament’s highest run-getter, racking up 250 runs in three matches. He also has three wickets to his name.
Losing Shakib for the clash against Sri Lanka would therefore represent a big loss for the Tigers.
Source: Bdnews24.