Papon rues over Shakib's unavailability in first Test
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Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hasan Papon rued over Shakib al Hasan's unavailability in the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Shakib was ruled out of the first Test after being tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. Papon feels that his absence will be massive setback to the squad and that facing Sri Lanka without him will be difficult.
“It's unfortunate for us. We are now praying for Shakib to get well soon. He said he’s is fine now. He has no problem at the moment. He will test again. It will be done according to our protocol. We want him to get better. His absence is definitely a big blow for the team,” said Papon.
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Papon admitted that Bangladesh is a much weaker side in the longest format of cricket compared to others. However, he is hopeful that the Tigers will be able to do well against Sri Lanka without Shakib.
"Sri Lanka is a very strong team, there is no denying that. And we are significantly a weaker side in Test format,” he said.
“So let's see who will come in Shakib's place and will be able to prove himself. And we have a lot of experienced players here, if they can play then I don't think there's any reason why we shouldn't win,” he added.
