It is a cruel blow for Nahid Rana, who will miss Bangladesh’s Test series in Australia despite being at the best stage of his career. While his long-time coach Alamgir Kabir expressed disappointment, he dismissed claims that excessive workload was responsible for the fast bowler’s injury. Like many others, he had been eagerly looking forward to seeing Nahid unleash his pace in Australian conditions.
Nahid suffered a side strain during Bangladesh’s match against Zimbabwe. According to Alamgir Kabir, it was the kind of injury that could have occurred at any time.
“It’s impossible to say when, how or why an injury will happen. It may have occurred during a match, but it could just as easily have happened during training. What would we have said then? It could even have happened outside cricket. So, it’s simply bad luck,” he said.
Following Nahid’s injury, criticism quickly mounted, with many alleging that excessive workload had pushed yet another promising fast bowler towards a career-threatening setback. Comparisons were even drawn with Mashrafe Bin Mortaza. However, Alamgir believes the debate has gained traction only because the injury occurred during a match.
He reiterated:
“It’s impossible to say when, how or why an injury will happen. It may have occurred during a match, but it could just as easily have happened during training. What would we have said then? It could even have happened outside cricket. So, it’s simply bad luck.”
It has already been confirmed that Nahid Rana will miss both Tests against Australia. However, there is renewed hope regarding another of Alamgir Kabir’s protégés, Shoriful Islam. The left-arm pacer is scheduled to undergo a fitness test on August 12, after which a final decision will be made on his availability.
Alamgir remains optimistic that Shoriful will be fit in time for the second Test.
“Alhamdulillah, we initially thought we might not have Shoriful for either of the two Tests. But yesterday I saw him bowling. He’s doing well, and after speaking to him, he sounds very fit. I believe there’s a good chance he’ll play the second Test. That’s good news for us, because we expect to have him back for the second match.”
