Litton Das’s availability uncertain for opening Test against West Indies

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.

At the SBNS, it was discussed whether Litton would be available for the two-match Test series opener. He is still recovering from a hip injury that kept him out of the recently concluded tri-nation ODI series between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.

Litton played big shots and batted well in the nets, indicating that he had made significant progress in his recovery. However, a member of the selection committee made a cautious comment.

The member of the selection committee stated, "He is in a state where we cannot say he is available or unavailable for the opening Test against West Indies."

He is, to be honest, 50/50. However, he stated, "We will wait until the end and hope he can recover sufficiently to play the series opener, which is very important to us."

It 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, the BCB medical team continues to work on Litton's recovery despite his recent struggles with injury-related discomfort.

It is understood that his body is still stiff because some joints don't move as much, mostly because he works too much. Additionally, he has some muscular weaknesses and has not yet fully recovered his strength in the affected areas. The BCB medical team postponed his October 24 fitness test due to these concerns.

Another member of the team management stated, "Litton is able to do his functional training now, but functional training doesn't mean he is 100% fit. Basically, if we can at least cover his minimum requirements, that's why we might be taking some time."

While Litton is understood to be keen to play, the management must decide whether to risk fielding him before he has fully recovered. Given that a recurrence of the injury could leave him sidelined for a long time, the team management and senior BCB officials will discuss the decision.

Beginning on November 5, Bangladesh will host the West Indies in Sylhet for the second Test. They will travel to South Africa for two Tests, three One-Day Internationals, and three Twenty20 Internationals following the home series. The tour will begin on November 15.