|| CF DESK ||

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed announced Thursday that star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is expected to sit out the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in the UAE, beginning on November 6, due to a lack of practice.

"Shakib will likely miss this series as he hasn’t been in training for a while and might need some time to regroup," Faruque shared with reporters in Chattogram.

Faruque noted that Shakib had made the decision to forgo the Afghanistan series. He added that if Shakib regains full fitness, he could participate in the upcoming all-format tour of the West Indies, starting on November 22.

This comes just a day after Faruque had indicated that Shakib was available for the Afghanistan ODIs. When asked if the BCB had finalized its stance on Shakib’s participation, Faruque responded, "Since the team has not been announced yet, it implies he is still available."

The series will open in Sharjah on November 6, with the second and third ODIs scheduled for November 9 and 11. The Bangladesh team is expected to depart for the UAE in two groups on November 3, with the squad announcement still pending.