Sri Lanka's cricketers are hoping to distract their fans from political turmoil back home when they take on Bangladesh in a two-Test series starting this weekend.

Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan tested negative for Covid-19 and will join the side this evening at Chattogram. After a medical checkup, the BCB’s medical team can clarify whether the all-rounder can now play the first Test after he was initially ruled out of the first Test upon testing positive for the virus following his return from USA on Tuesday.

Premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has tested Negative for covid on Friday morning.

Mustafizur Rahman has dominated discussion ahead of the Sri Lanka Tests despite having revealed that he was not keen on playing Tests in order to manage his workload. Plenty has been said with BCB president and team director Khaled Mahmud weighing in about where they stand regarding Fizz’s decision.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan said today that it is the team’s bad luck that they miss the service of Shakib Al Hasan when required most.

The scenic and tranquil backdrop of the BKSP did not provide the much-needed time in the middle in Bangladeshi conditions that the Sri Lankans had sought on the first day of their two-day practice match against Bangladesh XI yesterday.

Bangladesh batting coach Jamie Siddons urged the media to back experienced Mushfiqur Rahim, who has been going through a lean patch with the bat in recent times.

Shakib’s chances of featuring in the first Test against Sri Lanka, starting from May 15, will depend on his recovery and fitness.

As Dhaka experienced heavy rain during midday, the first day of the two-day practice match between BCB XI and Sri Lanka had to be called off at BKSP today.

Having witnessed the ups and downs at the budding stage of his career, Najmul Hossain Shanto has been able to show a fair bit of consistency for Bangladesh in Test format recently.

Sri Lanka’s assistant coach Naveed Nawaz said his team wants to bring good tidings from Bangladesh to his country, which is going through severe economic and political crisis.

A return to the national side is a redemption opportunity for any cricketer. And after an interval of one year, off-spinner Nayeem Hasan expressed his desire to bowl with greater patience as he was drafted into the squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

It will be a teacher coming up against a few of his students when Sri Lanka’s assistant coach Naveed Newaz comes up against his former students Shoriful Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy as the Tigers’ series against Sri Lanka nears.

Right now, the ubiquitous buzzword in our cricket circuit is ‘mindset’. It seems all paths lead to that particular word in discussions about the problems surrounding the Bangladesh men’s national cricket team.

The Daily Star (DS): Do you think the time has come for Bangladesh to regularly win Test matches at home?

Sri Lanka cricket team arrived in Dhaka this afternoon. The players and officials reached the Bangladesh capital at around 12:30pm today and headed straight to the team hotel. 

The Daily Star (DS): You did reasonably well in the Test series in South Africa, picking up eight wickets in two Tests.

Nazmul Abedeen Fahim watches over the shoulder of his tutee, Mushfiqur Rahim, as the batter prepares at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday ahead of Bangladesh’s upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud came down heavily on pacer Mustafizur Rahman regarding his reluctance to play Tests. 

Sri Lanka’s newly-appointed coach Chris Silverwood wants his batters to score more freely and his fast bowlers to breathe fire early in their spells as he seeks to add a touch of flair to their performance.