Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan has said Shakib Al Hasan is welcome to have a surgery done on his injured finger before the Asia Cup.
The announcement comes as a U-turn from the BCB chief, as he had earlier said that he would have liked to see Shakib partake in the multi-team tournament and then go under the knife, reports Cricbuzz.
For now, Shakib has been named in the 31-man preliminary squad for the tournament scheduled to be held between September 15 and 28.
The change of stance from Nazmul came just an hour after Shakib stated that he would prefer the operation before the Asia Cup as he wasn't keen on playing while being only half-fit.
The BCB president has now stated that the ball is entirely in the player's court.
"Shakib called me before going to [Hajj] and I asked him what he should do and at that point I said if he feels that the operation is required and he will have problem playing in this condition, then I asked him to get operated," Nazmul told reporters at Mirpur on Sunday.
"I asked him if he feels that he can participate in the Asia Cup and then do [operation] later as it will be beneficial for the team. But the decision in this regard is entirely yours," he added.
A BCB official confirmed that the board will seek an expert opinion from Australian doctors before deciding on the surgery. BCB asked national team physio Thihan Chandramohan to consult the matter with Australian physicians, who had earlier treated Shakib when he hurt his left little finger during the tri-series tournament final against Sri Lanka.
Melbourne-based Chandramohan left for Australia on Friday after he returned with the team following their grueling tour of West Indies.
Shakib's injury problem started in January when the 31-year old hurt the base of his left little finger while fielding during the tri-series final against Sri Lanka at Mirpur.
He missed the subsequent Test and T20I series against the same opponents and also failed to play in the first few matches of the Nidahas trophy in Sri Lanka in March.