Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman is set to spend the next four weeks on the sidelines after being diagnosed with a grade 1 muscle tear in his right hamstring and meniscal degeneration in his right knee. The injury was confirmed following scans on Tuesday after the left-arm seamer experienced pain while bowling during the first ODI against Zimbabwe on Monday.
During that match, where Bangladesh suffered a 25-run defeat, Mustafizur bowled six overs for 19 runs and appeared at No. 10 during the team's unsuccessful chase of 142. He was subsequently absent from the second ODI on Thursday and has been replaced in the squad by Shoriful Islam. Mustafizur will take no further part in the remainder of the Zimbabwe tour, which includes a three-match T20I series, and has returned home to begin his rehabilitation process.
The injury also creates uncertainty regarding his participation in The Hundred, where he was signed by Birmingham Phoenix for £100,000 in the March auction. The tournament is scheduled to run from July 21 to August 16. James Thomas, the performance director for Birmingham Phoenix, stated that the franchise remains hopeful the bowler will be fit to participate.
According to Thomas, an agreement has been reached for Mustafizur to travel to Birmingham next week as originally planned. He will undergo an assessment by the franchise's medical department to determine his availability. Thomas noted that the team is working closely with the Bangladesh Cricket Board to coordinate the approach to his recovery and to ensure they have plans in place for all possible outcomes. This is not the first time the bowler has faced knee issues this year; he previously dealt with a similar problem following the PSL, which resulted in the BCB withdrawing his no-objection certificate for that tournament.
Following the conclusion of the Zimbabwe tour on July 19, Bangladesh is slated to travel to Australia for a two-Test series beginning August 13, which forms part of the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
1930 BST – This story was updated to include details of Mustafizur's rehabilitation in Birmingham.
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