File image of Mushfiqur Rahim.© AFP
Bangladesh’s senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim will miss the two-match Test series against New Zealand, scheduled to be played later this month, a member of the national selection panel confirmed on Friday. Mushfiqur was ruled out of the ongoing ODI series against Afghanistan after sustaining a fracture on his right index finger while keeping in the series opener in Sharjah. On veteran wicketkeeper-batter’s injury Bangladesh team physio Delowar Hossain on Thursday said: “Towards the end of Afghanistan’s batting innings, Mushfiqur injured the tip of his left Index finger while keeping wickets. An X-ray after the match has confirmed a fracture on his left Index near the DIP joint. He is under conservative management and is not available for the second and third ODIs. Further updates on his condition and expected recovery period will be provided in due course”
According to one of Bangladesh’s selectors, the injury will take at least four to six weeks to heal and the 37-year-old is expected to be available for the ODI leg of the series.
“He (Mushfiqur) is not playing the Test series against West Indies as it will take at least a month or more to recover,” Cricbuzz quoted the selector as saying. “As for the ODIs (against West Indies) we will have time in our hands to make a call on that after seeing his progress,” he added.
Bangladesh will tour the West Indies for the all-format series including two Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is.
Following the Afghanistan ODIs in the UAE, ending on November 11, Bangladesh will head to the Caribbean for a tour game in Coolidge starting November 15, with the first Test kicking off in North Sound on November 22. The squad for the West Indies tour is yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh have not named a replacement for Mushfiqur in the ongoing ODI series as Litton Das is yet to recover from his fever despite rumours of him joining the squad.
“He (Liton) is going there for a personal reason and will be travelling with the squad when they depart for West Indies,” said the selector.
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