Three players who can replace Shakib Al Hasan in the Playing XI

The legendary Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been officially sidelined for Bangladesh's upcoming 2023 World Cup match against Australia. The star all-rounder sustained an injury during the game against Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. As a result, Shakib will not be available for Bangladesh's final World Cup match against Australia. An emergency x-ray has confirmed a fracture on his left PIP joint, a finger injury he suffered while batting against Sri Lanka. Anamul Haque has been named as his replacement. 

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Najmul Hossain Shanto serves as the vice-captain of the Bangladesh team. He took on the role of captain in the Tigers' 2023 World Cup match against India at the MCA Stadium when Shakib was unavailable. Given his experience, he is the leading candidate to captain the team in the upcoming match against Australia and is a strong contender for the team's captaincy going forward.

Now let us look at three players who can replace Shakib in the Bangladesh lineup:

3. Nasum Ahmed

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Nasum Ahmed is the most prominent name who might find his place in the playing XI. Nasum is rated very highly for his sheer batting as well as controlled spin bowling. He is likely to be the most suited replacement for the Bangladesh side given the conditions presented at Pune. He has so far represented Bangladesh in 14 matches where the left-hand batter has scored 149 runs and has also accounted for 12 wickets.  

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2. Mahedi Hasan

One of the players who has been around the domestic circuit for a long time. When Mahedi Hasan received his first ODI call-up in January 2021, he had already accumulated extensive experience, featuring in 159 domestic matches across various formats for ten different teams. He has since become a prominent candidate for the all-rounder positions in Bangladesh's limited-overs squads, participating in three distinct T20I series between 2018 and 2020. In the absence of the Shakib, there have been occasions when he has been given an edge over others. In addition to this, his all-round ability has been healthy for the team. In the 10 ODIs that the all-rounder has played for Bangladesh, he has scored 120 runs and has also accounted for 14 wickets. 

1. Hasan Mahmud 

Hasan Mahmud is part of a promising generation of young pacers, who has ignited hopes of a fast-bowling resurgence in Bangladesh, breaking the traditional reliance on spin. Notably, Mahmud stands out in the Bangladesh cricket scene as he is not only a skilled pace bowler but also an exceptional outfielder, a rarity among pace bowlers in the country. He recently played in Asia Cup 2023 as well as some of the matches in World Cup 2023 where the young Bangladesh bowler looked in good form. In addition to it, playing an additional pacer against Australia will be a better option.