Visiting Zimbabwe heaved a sigh of relief when batsman Craig Ervine was cleared to play the second Test against Bangladesh, beginning at Khulna today.
Ervine suffered an injury when a ball from team-mate Tendai Chatara bounced awkwardly to hit him in his forearm during Saturday’s training session at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium.
The left-handed middle order batsman, who returned to international cricket after 18 months of lay-off with this series, was immediately taken to local hospital for an x-ray, which revealed no serious damage.
‘Ervine is fine,’ said skipper Brendan Taylor in the pre-match press conference. ‘He got a knock on the hand yesterday [Saturday] from Chatara, had an x-ray, but he is fine. He has always been a very strong character.’
Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim also dismissed any fitness concerns over batsman Tamim Iqbal and spinner Taijul Islam.
‘They are both hundred per cent fit,’ said Mushfiq. ‘Taijul trained for the last three days and Tamim also did it for the last two days.
Unless anything happens to anyone at the eleventh hour, we have our all 14 players fit for playing,’ he said.
-With New Age input
