All-rounder Sakib al Hasan is set to miss the beginning of the Dhaka Premier League to allow his injured left-thumb, which sustained a hairline fracture during the Caribbean Premier League, enough time to recover. Sakib, who did not travel with the national team to Khulna to participate in a three-day match practice match, was prescribed rest by the Bangladesh Cricket Board physician after he was diagnosed with the injury following his return from the West Indies.
Kalabagan Krira Chakra, who took the opportunity provided by the newly-introduced player transfer system to snap up Sakib, had been confident of his availability from the very start of the league, which is scheduled to begin on September 10.
‘The doctor advised me to rest until September 18th to give sufficient time for the injury to heal and recover fully,’ Sakib told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.
‘I am looking forward to following [the doctor’s] instructions,’ he continued.
‘Actually, I was eager to play in the league from the very beginning and was quite confident about it considering the nature of my injury.’
‘It happened on August 18 and I felt that a three-week rest would be sufficient for me to make a comeback in competitive cricket.’
‘But unfortunately, things did not turn out as I expected, so there is a need for me to change my plans regarding taking part in the DPL,’ he added.
‘I don’t want to take a chance at this point in time with my injury, considering the national [team] commitment,’ he concluded.
Sakib picked up the injury during a CPL practice session on August 18.
BCB physician Debashish Chowdhury insisted that if Sakib’s return is rushed there is always a chance for him to aggravate it and suffer in the long run.
‘If we think from a medical point, he should remain away from participating in competitive cricket till September 18, as there is a risk of premature healing,’ said Debashish.
‘He looked fine and recovered quite well, but it is still too early for him to think of participating in cricket matches as he needs to recover fully.’
‘From September 10 he can start his skills training, but will need another week to be able to play competitive matches,’ he added.
Sakib’s injury comes as a blow to the Bangladesh national team as well, with a crucial home series against New Zealand only weeks away. The Black Caps are expected to arrive on October 1 for two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20, and Sakib’s presence is crucial for Bangladesh.
The former captain missed Bangladesh’s One-Day series against West Indies and their Sri Lanka tour last season, returning against Zimbabwe in April despite still not being completely fit.
-With New Age input
