Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman has been ruled out of Bangladesh's upcoming T20I series against Pakistan after injuring his left thumb during his final Indian Premier League (IPL) match. The left-arm pacer sustained a clip fracture, which will sideline him for at least two to three weeks.
According to team physio Delowar Hossain Siva, Mustafizur needs rest and rehabilitation.
"He suffered a clip fracture on his left thumb and won't be available for selection for the next two to three weeks," he said.
"We will conduct a follow-up evaluation after two weeks to monitor his recovery progress," he added.
In Mustafizur's absence, fast bowler Khaled Ahmed has been called up to the squad as his replacement.
Meanwhile, the three-match T20I series, originally set to begin on May 27, will now start on May 28 and run through June 1. All matches will be held at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, with an 8:00 PM start time.
The change in schedule comes after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested a slight delay to help the players settle and train before the series. The arrived in Lahore on May 25 and will have two practice sessions on May 26 and 27.
This tour is also significant for Pakistan, as it marks the first assignment under new white-ball head coach Mike Hesson.
Despite some big names missing from Pakistan's squadincluding Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridithe selectors have opted for a blend of youth and experience based on recent performances in the HBL PSL. Notable inclusions are Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, and Sahibzada Farhan. Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman also return after recovering from injuries.
The series was initially planned as a five-match contest, with games in both Lahore and Faisalabad. However, concerns within the Bangladesh camp led to the series being reduced to three games, all to be held in Lahore.
Players gather in Lahore
The third and final group of Bangladesh cricket team members, consisting of four players and support staff, arrived in Lahore on Monday ahead of the upcoming three-match T20I series against Pakistan.
This group of players includes Litton Das, Shoriful Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy, along with members of the support staff. The Bangladesh squad arrived in Pakistan in three separate groups for the series.
Earlier, on Sunday, a 10-member contingent arrived in Lahore as part of the first phase. This group featured players such as Hasan Mahmud, Tanvir Islam, Parvez Hossain Emon, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Originally, Bangladesh were scheduled to arrive on May 21 in two groups for a five-match T20I series, with the opening match planned for May 25 in Faisalabad.
However, due to logistical challenges and evolving security considerations, the tour was revised to a three-match series.
The decision to revise the schedule was finalized after a productive meeting between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials, including chairman Nazmul Abedeen and President Farooq Ahmed.
Both boards reached a mutual agreement to proceed with the series under the revised plan. According to the updated schedule, all three T20 Internationals will be played at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on May 28, May 30, and June 1.
Squads
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub.
Bangladesh: Litton Das (captain), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Zakir Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan (vice-captain), Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam.
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