Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim has expressed his disappointment over Shakib Al Hasan’s decision to take a break from Test cricket which means he will miss the upcoming Test series against South Africa, but conceded it is a personal decision and he respects that.
The southpaw who has been the No.1 ranked all-rounder across formats for a long time now will miss the series against South Africa starting later in the month. He had requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board for a break, and BCB granted it. Making his international debut way back in 2006, Shakib has evolved as the trump card of the Bangladesh team.
Mushfiqur conceded that being a captain he is, of course, not happy but feels everyone’s personal opinion should be respected.
“Obviously I am not happy, being the captain of the side,” Mushfiqur was quoted as saying by the Dail Star Website. “He asked for a break to have some rest from his workload, that’s his personal decision which I also respect.”At the same time, if he was injured we would have had to play without him, so that’s part of life,” Rahim said.
Mahmudullah Riyad will be Shakib’s replacement for the 15-man squad announced for the series against South Africa. Mahmudullah was dropped from the Bangladesh Test squad since March and was not in the team which levelled 1-1 against Australia at home. The all-rounder has played 33 Tests and will look to make his comeback a memorable one during the series.
“The inclusion of Riyad Bhai will add some experience to our side as he is a very seasoned campaigner for us. But still I would say Shakib is Shakib, and we are going to miss him badly,” Mushfiqur signed off.