Bangladesh Opener Shadman Islam Tested Positive For COVID-19; Hopeful To Recover Before Sri Lanka Tour

Shadman Islam, Bangladesh’s Test opener, has been placed in quarantine after testing positive for the COVID-19. Consequently, the left-hander missed the first round of the National Cricket League, Bangladesh’s first-class tournament.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has made it compulsory for the Test probables to take part in the NCL ahead of their tour to Sri Lanka. Shadman Islam, who plays for Dhaka Metro, had to clear the subsequent rounds of covid testing to be allowed to return to the field.

Shadman Islam scored a fifty in the first Test against West Indies – he missed the second Test due to an injury – and is likely to be selected for the 2-match Test series in Sri Lanka which commences on April 21st. The team will travel to the island nation on 12th April.

”I am in isolation at the moment in the hotel and waiting for my third corona report to arrive and if that is negative I will be able to play,” the 25-year-old told Cricbuzz.

He has played 7 Tests so far, averages 26.07 with the help of a couple of fifties. The southpaw has scored over 3000 first-class runs in 55 matches at 44.95 with 8 hundreds and 21 half-centuries.

Test skipper Mominul Haque had also tested COVID positive

Bangladesh’s Test captain, Mominul Haque had earlier returned a positive test during the first round of tests that were taken on March 19; however, he is allowed to play in the NCL after being tested negative in the next round.

Last season the BCB couldn’t conduct the NCL due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But when cricket resumed, having successfully hosted the BCB President’s Cup and Bangabandhu T20 the board decided to organize this edition of its premier first-class tournament as well from March 22.

Bangladesh is coming off a 2-0 whitewash by the hands of a depleted West Indies side in a thrilling series. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has lost their last two Test series’ to South Africa Pakistan and is currently competing with West Indies.

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