Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman faces at least four weeks out with injury, which casts doubt on his planned appearance in The Hundred.
How it happened
The left-armer was hurt in the first ODI of Bangladesh’s tour of Zimbabwe. He had bowled six overs for 19 runs but felt discomfort and left the field before finishing his spell, then missed the second ODI.
Team physiotherapist Bayjedul Islam Khan said scans showed a Grade 1 tear in the right hamstring, plus a minor degenerative issue in the same knee. He said recovery would take at least four weeks and that Mustafizur will go home to begin rehabilitation. The setback follows another knee injury earlier this year, from which he had only recently recovered.
Hundred plans
The timing is unfortunate. Mustafizur was due to become the first Bangladesh cricketer to play in The Hundred, having signed with Birmingham Phoenix at his base price of GBP 100,000. The tournament runs from July 20 to August 20.
Phoenix have not ruled him out. Performance director James Thomas said that, after talks with the player and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, he will travel to Birmingham as planned so the franchise’s medical team can assess him and decide whether he can play any part.
Replacements and what is next
The BCB has already named replacements for the rest of the Zimbabwe ODI series and the T20Is that follow. Bangladesh also have a two-Test tour of Australia starting on August 13. Whether Mustafizur is fit for that, or for any of The Hundred, will depend on his rehabilitation and the assessment in Birmingham.
