Bangladesh rest all-rounder Shakib for South Africa tour

Bangladesh on Wednesday said they will rest all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan from all cricket until April 30 after the star sought to withdraw from the upcoming tour of South Africa. “Shakib told us he was mentally fatigued and physically stressed,” Bangladesh Cricket Board operations chief Jalal Yunus told reporters in Dhaka. “He does not want to go to South Africa. Considering his (lack of) interest, we thought he should be given rest.” There was no immediate comment from Shakib but the 34-year-old at the weekend had said he needed a break and would like to skip the tour. After a string of poor performances in the home series against Afghanistan, Shakib on Sunday said he felt like a “passenger” in the team and was not in the right mental state to play. He made the comments before leaving for the United Arab Emirates on a personal trip. “If I get a break, if I get my interest back, I can play with more ease,” he added. Shakib scored just 14 runs in two T20 matches against Afghanistan last week and took two wickets. In the three-match ODI series he scored a total of 60 runs and claimed just five wickets. He had already been named in the squads for both the Test and ODI series in South Africa. But he said: “I don’t think I should be in the South Africa tour with such a mentality. I want to meet everyone’s expectations when I am playing. “There’s no guarantee of my best performance… I don’t want to waste the time or someone’s spot. “Playing in this way, as a passenger, it will be like betraying or cheating my teammates and the country,” he added. Shakib skipped Bangladesh’s previous Test series against New Zealand and reportedly asked for leave to play in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament. But he went unsold in the IPL auction, paving the way for his return to the Test side. In 2021, Shakib played only three of Bangladesh’s seven Test matches. The Bangladesh team on Thursday will fly to South Africa, where they will play three ODIs and two Tests in March and April.