Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has said Shakib Al Hasan's absence from what should have been his farewell Test was "unfortunate," but urged his team to focus on the task at hand - the first match against South Africa starting on Monday.

The absence of Shakib Al Hasan has come as a relief to South Africa as they embark on a two-test series in Bangladesh but stand-in captain Aiden Markram does not expect the challenge to be any easier.