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Shakib Al Hasan’s availability for Bangladesh’s five-match Twenty20 International series against Zimbabwe was under the cloud, but the all-rounder wiped away all those speculations by saying that he will play the final three matches of the series.

Despite national team chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu stating that Shakib will be available for the Zimbabwe series, rumours about the left-hander returning to Bangladesh from USA – where he was with his family – to play in the ongoing Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2024 instead of the Zimbabwe series were circulating in the country’s cricketing fraternity.

However, while speaking at a programme in USA, Shakib revealed that he would indeed play the DPL, but only to prepare himself for the Zimbabwe series, where he will be playing three games.

‘Of course I will play in the Zimbabwe series. There are confusions in Bangladesh that I will not play the whole series to play DPL. I actually talked to the coach [Chandika Hathurusingha] and captain [Najmul Hossain Shanto] beforehand,’ he said in USA on Thursday.

‘Coach told me that playing two matches was enough, but the selectors and captain asked me to play three matches. I said no problem.’

Shakib added that he will be playing two matches in the DPL – where he had played three matches for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club earlier in the season – before the Zimbabwe series as part of his preparations.

‘These decisions are taken through discussions, not by my wish. As there are two DPL matches before the last three matches against Zimbabwe, there is a chance to play them as it will help me prepare better. That is why I will play these matches. Nothing else,’ the all-rounder said.

The five-match series will begin in Chattogram on May 3.