Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana has been officially ruled out of the third and final T20I against Zimbabwe due to a serious side strain. According to a report in CricketNews, the 23-year-old fast bowler’s participation for the upcoming Test tour of Australia next month is in serious doubt.
He suffered the injury during the second T20 match in Bulawayo on Friday, which Bangladesh won by 34 runs to level the series. The final match will be played on Sunday, July 19. The absence of the young bowler has become a major selection headache for the team management as they try to win the bilateral series.
Nahid Rana got injured after a brilliant performance
Nahid Rana produced the best performance of his career in the opening match of the series, where he took four wickets for 26 runs. However, later in the match he complained of pain on the left side of his body.
The right-arm fast bowler could bowl only 2.3 overs and take one wicket for 15 runs, before leaving the field to seek medical attention. Following assessment, the talented young bowler immediately began a rehabilitation program for the side strain with the medical staff.
The blow has come at a difficult time for Bangladesh, as Rana had quickly become a vital part of the bowling attack. His fast pace and ability to generate bounce gave the team a significant advantage.
Nahid Rana’s absence in Australia tour will be a big blow – National selector
Speaking to Cricbuzz on Saturday, a member of the national selection panel expressed concern over Nahid Rana’s availability for the Australia tour. The selector said the team management is awaiting the official scan report to evaluate the full extent of the damage.
“He (Rana) will definitely miss the third T20 match against Zimbabwe and we think the side strain will take at least two to three weeks to heal,” the selector said.
“We are waiting for the scan report as we still have some time before the first Test against Australia,” he said.
“The way he is bowling at the moment, it would be a big blow for him to miss the Australia tour, so we are waiting to see how serious his injury is and how long it will actually take him to recover,” he said.
Nahid Rana in a race against time for Australia Test
Nahid Rana is in a race against time to regain match fitness. He is expected to take around three weeks to recover, leaving little time to prepare for the opening Test against Australia.
The team’s medical staff will closely monitor his recovery. They will focus on specific rehabilitation exercises to heal the strained muscles without the risk of further injury. He is hopeful that the right-arm fast bowler will resume light bowling before the team leaves for Australia.
Bangladesh Test captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto held a meeting with the national selectors at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday. The main focus was to finalize the squad and assess backup fast bowling options in case Rana does not recover in time.
Bangladesh will need a strong and fit pace attack to take advantage of Australia’s bouncy pitches. The two-match Test series will begin on August 13 at the Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin. It is noteworthy that the second Test will be played at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay from August 22.
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