Shadman Islam taken off the field on stretcher | PC- AFP
In unfortunate news for Bangladesh, opener Shadman Islam will most likely miss the tour of South Africa as well. The left-handed batter has already ruled out the first innings of the ongoing Sylhet Test against West Indies.
While fielding on Day 2 of the BAN vs WI 2nd Test, Shadman suffered an ankle injury and was taken off the field on a stretcher. Later, he was sent to the hospital for an MRI scan and was kept under observation.
South Africa tour to be touch and go for Shadman Islam
According to a latest report by The Daily Star, Shadman Islam's condition "does not look good".
He may miss not just the second Test against West Indies, but also the two-match Test series in South Africa, starting on November 15, 2026.
"We haven't got the full assessment yet, but he is probably out of South Africa as well. The assessment report has not come in writing yet, but they have told us that, since we don't have much time before the South Africa Tests," a source told the media house.
With no turnaround time between the series against West Indies and South Africa, it would be touch and go for Shadman, a key player for Bangladesh in the longest format.
Who could replace a reliable Shadman Islam for SA Tests?
Shadman Islam, 31, has been a regular part of the Test side since August 2024, although he debuted in the format in November 2018.
In 32 matches, across 61 innings, the left-hand batter has racked up 1696 runs at an average of 29.24. Notably, two of his three Test centuries have come in the last two years, while he has also scored four half-centuries in that period.
At first-class level, Shadman has been a consistent performer in the Bangladesh setup, scoring 7028 runs after 104 matches, featuring 15 hundreds and 40 fifties, with an average close to 50.
It would be interesting to see whether the national selector recalls an experienced opener for the challenging tour, or gives a go to a younger batter.
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