Team management to take decision on Shakib's availability for UAE tour

Dhaka, 18 Sept - The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) pushed the ball to the court of the team management to take the decision whether Shakib Al Hasan will play the two-match T20 International series against UAE.

The two-match series, which is considered as the preparation platform for Bangladesh for their tri-nation series in New Zealand and T20 World Cup campaign, is scheduled for September 25 and 27 in Dubai.

But before the decision of the series was taken, Shakib was granted NOC for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). He had already joined his side Guyana Amazon Warriors for the remainder of the CPL.

The CPL was also seen as the perfect preparation for the players across the world for their World Cup campaign.

Shakib who is the fifth-highest wicket-taker (419) in the history of T20 cricket had won the title with Jamaica Tallawahs in 2016 and three years later he repeated the feat with the Barbados Tridents (now Royals). He also holds the record for best bowling figures in CPL history, having bagged 6 for 6 in 2013.

"Shakib was granted NOC to play a franchise league, much before than the decision of the UAE series was taken. So, it's now up to the team management whether they would call him for the series," BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said here today.