Sports Desk:

Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain confirmed that senior Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will be available for all Test matches in 2024.

“Probably at the end of July, we talked to Shakib and there were discussions with me regarding his fitness,” Hossain said ahead of the ICC World Test Championship series against Pakistan.

“He assured us that he would play all the Tests and attend all practice sessions before each series.”

Bangladesh are scheduled to play eight Test matches – four two-match Test series against Pakistan, India, South Africa and the West Indies – in 2024, all of which are a part of the WTC cycle.

Shakib has only played one Test match for Bangladesh in the current World Test Championship cycle and had earlier not confirmed his availability for matches after the upcoming Pakistan series.

“There is international cricket and there is a series against Pakistan and I am planning till that point of time and not planning beyond that,” Shakib told in July ahead of his commitments in the Major League Cricket and Global T20 League in Canada.

Shakib was named in the Test squad for the Pakistan series and is confirmed to play an all-round role.

“Globally, Shakib is one of the best all-rounders for the past years and I maintain that opinion. I cannot dare to consider him only as a bowler,” Hossain said.

“It was important to know whether he will be available in all the practice sessions before series and that was a criterion for selection from our point of view. We were supposed to go [to Pakistan] a bit later. He will probably reach the side on 14th or 15th and practice with the team.”

The WTC series against Pakistan begins on 21 August with the second match starting on 30 August.