Shanto set to join Bangladesh squad for Afghanistan Test by October 6

Before the first Test against Afghanistan on October 9 in Abu Dhabi, Test skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto is expected to join his teammates in the United Arab Emirates, which is good news for Bangladesh.

As a result of Shanto's absence from his teammates' earlier departure for the UAE, the Test captain's availability for the one-time match was questioned. Shanto was ruled out of Bangladesh's Asian Games campaign due to a fever.

However, BCB chief selector Habibul Bashar expressed optimism regarding Shanto's participation in the Test and stated that, assuming everything goes according to plan, Shanto will depart on October 6.

Since Bangladesh arrived in Japan, Shanto had a fever. He had to go back home because the fever kept coming back after four days. Although he tested negative for influenza and COVID-19, the BCB performed tests on him for his mild fever, which revealed that he had an infection.

Bashar stated on Friday, "I am hopeful that he will be available for the opening Test against Afghanistan."

I've talked to him and he hasn't been ruled out yet. When you have a fever this high, your body gets weak. In Japan, he was stuck in a hotel and couldn't leave, so it was hard for him to eat in the hotel.

He continued, "But now he's feeling alright and overall he's in good shape."

The one-time Test match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh will take place at the Sheikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from October 9 to 13. The two teams and Zimbabwe will then participate in an ODI tri-series from October 17 to 23, in which Shanto is anticipated to play a significant role. Before moving on to Sharjah for the remainder of the tri-series, Abu Dhabi will host the first two matches.