Mustafizur Rahman likely to be sidelined for 2–3 weeks
Bangladesh suffered a major setback ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan, with star pacer Mustafizur Rahman ruled out due to a hand injury. In his place, uncapped pacer Syed Khaled Ahmed has been called up to the squad.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the news in a press release on Sunday night, stating that Mustafizur will be out of action for at least two to three weeks.
The injury occurred during Delhi Capitals’ IPL match against Punjab Kings on Saturday. While attempting to take a difficult return catch during his bowling spell, Mustafizur injured his finger and left the field. He did return later to complete his spell and made a strong impact, taking 3 wickets for 33 runs in 4 overs to help secure a win for Delhi.
In the BCB statement, national team physio Debashis Chowdhury said, “Mustafizur has sustained a fracture on the thumb of his left hand during his IPL match on Saturday. The injury requires a period of rest and rehabilitation. Based on our current assessment, he will not be available for selection for the next two to three weeks. We will review his condition again after two weeks to assess his recovery progress.”
While Mustafizur’s absence is a blow, it opens the door for 32-year-old Khaled Ahmed. Though yet to debut in T20Is, Khaled has represented Bangladesh in 16 Tests and 2 ODIs.
In domestic T20s, he has picked up 94 wickets in 74 matches at an economy rate of 8.21, with best figures of 4 for 19.
The three-match T20I series against Pakistan is scheduled to begin this Wednesday, with the second game on Friday and the final match on June 1.
