Shakib Al Hasan will not need surgery at the moment to overcome his groin injury.

The injured all-rounder saw physiotherapy expert Dr Steve Saunders and surgeon Dr. Peter Malycha at the Saunders Sports & Spinal clinic in Adelaide. Australia yesterday and the experts suggested physiotherapy treatment.

“1 have to continue the therapy for five to six weeks and during this time we will be able to assess how the groin is responding to the treatment. For the first couple of weeks I will be working with Dr. Saunders before I return to Dhaka for Eid," Shakib informed the board yesterday.

"I will continue to treat the injury as per the doctor’s instructions at home and 1 am confident that I will be fit for the series against Zimbabwe. Dr. Saunders and Dr. Malycha are very optimistic that I will be able to start playing soon," he added.

Zimbabwe will arrive in Dhaka on October 21 to play

SEE PAGE 18 COL 7 FROM PAGE 17 five-match one-day series against the Tigers.

The national cricketers will start their preparation for the upcoming series tomorrow at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur and coach Jamie Siddons, who is currently in Adelaide, is expected to join the team within next two-three days.

Shakib has been suffering from persistent groin pain and had to play with painkillers in both the West Indies and Zimbabwe but successfully led the team to a historic 2-0 Test and 3-0 one-day series victories against West Indies followed by a 4-1 series success against Zimbabwe.