Bangladesh pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman has been ruled out of the upcoming tour of Pakistan after sustaining a clip fracture to his left thumb. The injury occurred during his final appearance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday, ruling the left-arm pacer out of action for at least two weeks.
Confirming the news, National Team physio Delowar Hossain Siva stated, “Mustafizur suffered a clip fracture on his left thumb while playing his last match of the IPL yesterday. This injury requires a period of rest and rehabilitation. As per our current assessment, he will be unavailable for selection for the next two to three weeks. We will conduct a follow-up evaluation after two weeks to monitor his recovery progress.”
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has responded swiftly to the development, naming fast bowler Khaled Ahmed as Mustafizur’s replacement in the touring squad. Khaled last featured in national colours earlier this year in the Test series against Zimbabwe. The 32-year-old right-arm seamer has been in good form in domestic cricket and will be looking to make the most of the opportunity in Mustafizur’s absence. He will be hoping to make his debut for the Tigers in the shortest format of the game.
The tour of Pakistan includes three T20Is with the first match set to take place in Lahore on Wednesday.