Shakib out of rest of West Indies ODIs

Shakib Al Hasan's shin injury has ruled him out of the rest of the five-match ODI series against West Indies. The stress reaction on his right tibia that kept him out of the squad for the first two ODIs was reconfirmed by a second scan in Dhaka, and he has been given the next six weeks off to rest.

"Shakib was initially diagnosed with stress reaction on his right tibia, but we needed a second scan just to make sure. It has been confirmed now," Dr Debashish Chowdhury, the BCB's chief medical officer, told ESPNcricinfo. "He has been advised not to do any running or jumping during the period. Hopefully, he will fully recover after he sees out four to six weeks."

Apart from resting, he will undergo a rehabilitation process that will begin once the pain in his shin goes away. "He will have to follow the protocol, which will only begin after the pain reduces," Chowdhury said. "If he were to continue playing with the pain, it would have resulted in a fracture."

Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh allrounder, said that not having Shakib would be a good test for the side. "It is unfortunate that we have lost Shakib but at the same time, for our cricket, we should realise that Shakib is like an extra power. I think playing the series without Shakib is actually not that bad for the team. I am taking his absence positively because every player should feel what their role in the team is. If we keep expecting performances from Shakib, our team will never improve. Every player has to do his job."

Bangladesh's next international series is in Sri Lanka in mid-February next year, followed by a tour to Zimbabwe in March-April. It is likely that Shakib will fit in time for these tours, but he may have to miss domestic tournaments like the Bangladesh Premier League.