Mashrafee ruled out, Mushfiq in doubt
Bangladesh received another major blow to their ongoing Asia Cup campaign on Friday as paceman Mashrafee bin Murtaza was ruled out of the tournament with a side strain ahead of their crucial match against Afghanistan today. The injury could not be more ill-timed for the hosts, who have not been at full strength in the Asia Cup thanks to the absence of opener Tamim Iqbal, who has a neck injury.
‘Mashrafee has been ruled out of the Asia Cup with a side strain,’ Bangladesh team physio Vibhav Singh told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Friday.
‘We will now assess him to if he can regain his fitness for the ICC World Twenty20.’
‘Mashrafee came off in the last match without completing his bowling due to his side strain on his left side.’
‘He went for an MRI scan yesterday, which concluded that he does have a side strain so he won’t be able to take part in the Asia Cup ,but there is time before the T20 and we will assess him and his recovery,’ he added.
BCB insiders said that Mashrafee’s chances of participating in the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20 are slim, as he will require at least four weeks to recover from the injury. The World Twenty20 begins on March 16.
Shafiul Islam was added to the Asia Cup squad as Mashrafee’s replacement.
The hosts will also go into the match against Afghanistan without the services of Sakib al Hasan, who will serve the final match of his three-match ban for a lewd gesture on live television during the series against Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh also await confirmation that skipper Mushfiqur Rahim will be fit for the Afghanistan game.
Mushfiq hurt his right shoulder while fielding against India and left the field immediately.
On Thursday, the Bangladesh captain had an MRI that did not reveal any serious damage.
‘After looking at him and the scans, he came down, did warm-ups this morning [and] did a bit of a knock. The thing is, with the shoulder, he injured it in the past and that was the tricky thing; how much was the old injury, how much was the new injury,’ said Vibhav of Mushfiq’s condition.
‘He has managed to get full movement in his shoulder. It still happened only 48 hours ago. He has managed to get through stuff. We will assess him and he will go through a fitness test. It’s not looking terrible. He hasn’t gone hard today; we need to give him more time to rest,’ he added.
Sources added that Mushfiq had a grade-two injury that, according to medical guidelines, would require one week to recover, but he might be considered if he passes his fitness test. If he is not available, Abdur Razzak is expected to lead the team, with Imrul Kayes coming in as his replacement.
Mushfiq was already recovering from a finger injury that had kept him out of the two Twenty20s against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
In other squad news, Sohag Gazi is likely to make way for Arafat Sunny, while pacer Al-Amin Hossain will likely come in for Mashrafee.
Coach Shane Jurgensen said that the injuries created an opportunity for younger players to make their mark.
‘Look, it just provides opportunities for us as a cricket team to create depth,’ said Jurgensen.
‘It is a fantastic opportunity for young players to execute all the training we have been doing in such a big tournament. That’s a positive when it comes to the World Cup in 12 months time. It exposes the young players, and that can create depth.’
-With New Age input
