While Litton Das batted with ease at the BCB Academy premises on Sunday, members of the Bangladesh team management insisted that they were still unsure about his availability for the opening Test against West Indies, scheduled to begin at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on October 28.
Litton’s availability for the two-match Test series opener was a topic of discussion at the SBNS as he continues to recover from a hip injury that ruled him out of the recently concluded tri-nation ODI series involving Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.
Litton batted comfortably in the nets and played some big shots, suggesting that he had made considerable progress in his recovery. However, a member of the selection panel struck a note of caution.
“He is in a state where we cannot say he is available or unavailable for the opening Test against West Indies,” said the selection committee member.
“To be honest he is 50-50. But we will wait till the end and hope he can recover sufficiently to play the series opener as it’s very important for us,” he said.
Cricbuzz understands that the inflammation of a gluteal muscle tendon in his hip joint, which ruled him out of the tri-nation series, has subsided and the pain has also reduced. However, Litton has struggled with injury-related discomfort in recent times, and the BCB medical team continues to work on his recovery.
It is understood that his body remains stiff due to limited mobility in certain joints, largely stemming from a chronic workload. He also has some muscular weaknesses and is yet to regain full strength in the affected areas. These concerns prompted the BCB medical team to skip his scheduled fitness test on October 24.
“Litton is able to do his functional training now, but functional training doesn’t mean he is 100% fit. 100% is not really needed, basically, if we can at least cover his minimum requirements, that’s why we might be taking some time,” said another member of the team management.
While Litton is understood to be keen to play, the management must decide whether to risk fielding him before he has fully recovered. The decision will involve discussions between the team management and senior BCB officials, given the possibility that a recurrence of the injury could sideline him for an extended period.
Bangladesh will play the second Test against West Indies in Sylhet from November 5. Following the home series, they are scheduled to tour South Africa for two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is, with the tour set to begin on November 15.
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