Injury-hit Bangladesh get extension to name Asia Cup 2022 squad

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have received an extension to name their squad for the Asia Cup 2022 T20 tournament, considering their injury concerns.

The deadline for teams to name their Asia Cup squads is August 8. However, the BCB requested the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to hand them an extension as they are still awaiting medical reports from some of their injured cricketers.

BCB cricket operation chairman Jalal Yunus was quoted as telling Cricbuzz:

"The long injury list have put us on the backfoot and so we requested the ACC to give some more time to finalize our squad and they have accepted it."

Litton Das was ruled out of the ongoing ODI series against Zimbabwe in Harare after picking up a hamstring injury during the first game on Friday (August 5). Das was batting on 81 when he was forced to retire hurt and was stretchered off the field. He is likely to be out of action for a month, putting his Asia Cup participation in doubt.

Earlier, Nurul Hasan was also ruled out of the Zimbabwe series due to a finger injury. He is currently in Singapore, where he is getting his condition assessed. Further, Mustafizur Rahman has an ankle issue, Mushfiqur Rahim has picked up a thumb injury while Shoriful Islam walked off the field in the last game after being hit in the knee.

Jalal said about Bangladesh’s injury woes:

"We are waiting for the medical report and later we will finalize the squad. We will have to submit the squad before August 11.”

Bangladesh went down to Zimbabwe by five wickets in the opening ODI of the three-match series in Harare on Friday.

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Fresh trouble for Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan

Apart from injury, the BCB will have to deal with another controversy surrounding star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. The cricket board, on Thursday, said that it will investigate Shakib’s social media post over a sponsorship deal with a company named "Betwinner News".

BCB President Nazmul Hasan Papon stated that the cricketer cannot be involved in any partnership with betting companies. His statement read:

"There are two things. Firstly there is no chance of taking permission because we won't give permission. If there is anything related with betting we won't give any permission. That means he did not ask any permission from us. Second we have to know whether he had really signed a deal or not.”

Shakib has had his fair share of controversies. He was banned in 2019 for breaching the ICC anti-corruption code. A video of him kicking the stumps in anger during the 2021 Dhaka Premier League also went viral.