Bangladesh left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has been ruled out of the T20I series against Afghanistan after he injured his toe. It will be a huge setback for the Bangladesh side as it will miss the formidable pacer in the crucial series. It will be a big task for the Bangladesh management to find an ideal replacement for a bowler of such quality and calibre.
Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) senior physician Dr Debashis Chowdhury confirmed the news and said that a scan revealed that Mustafizur would take up to three weeks to recover fully from the injury.
"An x-ray followed by a CT scan have confirmed a hairline fracture on the big toe. It takes around three to four weeks to recover from such injuries and therefore he (Mustafiz) can't play against Afghanistan". We expect him to start rehab in two weeks after which we will continue to monitor and assess him," Chowdhury said.
The 22-year-old bowler joined the national team's training camp last week after making a return from India, where he had appeared for Mumbai Indians in the recently-concluded 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but complained of pain.
Mustafizur was Bangladesh's best bowler during the Nidahas Trophy T20s Tri-series, also featuring Sri Lanka and India, in March. The BCB, however, is yet to name his replacement for Afghanistan T20Is.
Bangladesh are slated to play three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, beginning June 3 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Dehradun.
(With ANI inputs)
