Khaled in as Mustafiz rested from BD ‘A’ squad

Agency:

The Bangladesh ‘A’ squad took part at the practice session at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium for the upcoming series against New Zealand ‘A’, but left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman was notably absent from the squad’s training session on Friday.

Speculation arose over his status, which was later clarified-Mustafizur will not be participating in the one-day leg of the series and has been granted a short rest period instead.

In his place, the selectors have included right-arm pacer Khaled Ahmed in the ‘A’ team squad.

Shahriar Nafees, Head of Cricket Operations of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), confirmed the update to Cricfrenzy. “When the ‘A’ squad was initially formed, Mustafiz hadn’t been involved in match play. But since then, he’s played a few Super League matches in the DPL (Dhaka Premier League) cricket, which has helped with his match readiness. We decided to give another player a chance.”

Mustafiz, who was originally drafted into the ‘A’ team to gain some match practice ahead of Bangladesh’s T20I series against UAE and Pakistan, ended up playing five matches in the DPL Super League, bowling 28 overs and claiming five wickets.

Meanwhile, injury concerns continue to linger around Taskin Ahmed. The fast bowler is currently in England for further evaluation of his ankle injury. Having consulted with three different specialists on April 29, 30, and May 1, the results brought some relief-surgery will not be required.

However, Taskin will still need to undergo a 3-4 week rehabilitation program, casting doubt on his availability for both the UAE and Pakistan T20I series. The BCB is expected to exercise caution regarding his participation, especially with a full tour of Sri Lanka scheduled for June.