Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of his side’s last World Cup 2023 match, against Australia in Pune on November 11, with a fractured left index finger. He will fly back to Dhaka today, while the rest of the squad heads to Pune from Delhi. The injury happened during his innings of 82 against Sri Lanka in Delhi on Monday. According to physio Bayjedul Islam Khan, Shakib suffered the injury in the early part of his batting stint.
“Shakib was struck on his left index finger early in his innings but continued to bat with supportive taping and painkillers,” Bayjedul said. “He underwent an emergency X-ray in Delhi after the game, which confirmed the fracture on the left PIP joint. Recovery is estimated at three to four weeks. He will leave for Bangladesh today to begin his rehab.”
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Shakib’s injury caps a dramatic 24 hours for him. During Bangladesh’s three-wicket win over Sri Lanka yesterday, he had initiated the appeal which resulted in Angelo Mathews becoming the first batter to be dismissed timed out in international cricket.
JUST IN: Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of #CWC23 after suffering an injury to his left Index finger pic.twitter.com/jQIOZ6V8nR
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) November 7, 2023
After the game, Shakib Al Hasan said that he had felt like he was at a war out on the field. Bangladesh have lost six of their eight games so far in this World Cup campaign, putting them out of contention for the semis. But they still have hopes of qualifying for the Champions Trophy 2025; a top-eight finish on the table would seal that.
Shakib Al Hasan himself had a lean run at the World Cup, scoring in single digits in three of the six innings he played before his Player-of-the-Match 82 against Sri Lanka.
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Shakib’s injury is a big blow for Bangladesh. He is their best all-rounder and has been one of their most consistent performers in recent years. His absence will be a major setback for their chances of qualifying for the Champions Trophy. However, Bangladesh still have a chance to finish inside the top eight. They need to win their last match against Australia and hope that other results go their way. It will be a tough challenge, but it is certainly possible.
