Bangladesh’s preparations for their upcoming T20I series against Pakistan have taken a major hit with star fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman ruled out of the entire series due to injury.
The left-arm pacer, widely considered the leader of Bangladesh’s white-ball attack, sustained a fracture to his left thumb during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Saturday.
“Mustafizur suffered a clip fracture on his left thumb while playing his last match of the Indian Premier League,” Bangladesh national team physio Delowar Hossain told ESPNcricinfo. “This injury requires a period of rest and rehabilitation. We will conduct a follow-up evaluation after two weeks to monitor his recovery progress.”
Mustafizur Rahman’s absence is a big blow to Bangladesh, who are already dealing with multiple squad changes ahead of the three-match series against Pakistan, set to begin on May 28 in Lahore.
Pacer Nahid Rana earlier withdrew from the squad due to personal reasons, while Soumya Sarkar was ruled out with a back injury. Off-spinning all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been named as Soumya’s replacement, and Khaled Ahmed has now been called up in place of Mustafizur.
The Tigers come into the series on the back of a disappointing 2-1 series loss to the UAE in Sharjah, and with several key players missing, the challenge in Pakistan just got tougher. However, the inclusion of Khaled Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan provides an opportunity for fresh faces to make a statement ahead of the upcoming global tournaments.
While Mustafizur Rahman’s absence weakens Bangladesh’s bowling strength, the team will hope their younger pacers can rise to the occasion in a high-pressure tour against a confident Pakistani side.