Mushfiqur Rahim to skip Bangladesh's tour of WI: Details here
Bangladeshi batter Mushfiqur Rahim will miss the upcoming tour of the West Indies slated to take place between June 16-July 16. The tour will comprise two Tests, three T20Is, and lastly, three ODIs. As per Cricbuzz, the 35-year-old informed the board about his unavailability as he would be on a religious pilgrimage. Bangladesh would leave for West Indies on June 6. Here's more.
- It is a major blow to Bangladesh, given they would be short of four vital cogs in their side.
- Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and lately, Nayeem Islam (finger), have suffered injuries.
- The trio won't make the cut.
- Mushfiqur's unavailability worsens their chances of a fight back in Caribbean conditions.
- Missing out an experienced performer of his calibre could prove costly for Bangladesh.
First Test: June 16 - June 20 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua. Second Test: June 24 - June 28 at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia. First T20I: July 2 at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica. Second T20I: July 3 at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica. Third T20I: July 7 at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica.
Bangladesh currently rank eighth in the ICC World Test Championship standings (PCT 19.05). They have one win, five losses, and a draw across four Test series. They are currently playing a two-match series against Sri Lanka. The visitors stood strong to draw the first Test in Chattogram. They forced a draw on Day 5 after showing resolve and character.
"Yes, he [Mushfiqur] will be unavailable in the West Indies tour as he wishes to perform his hajj," said Bangladesh team director Khaled Ahmed to Cricbuzz.
Here's the schedule of the three-match ODI series. First ODI: July 10 at Providence Stadium, Guyana. Second ODI: July 13 at Providence Stadium, Guyana. Third ODI: July 16 at Providence Stadium, Guyana.
On Day 4 of the Chattogram Test, Mushfiqur ran past the 5,000-run mark in whites (5,037). He became the first batter from Bangladesh to have chronicled such a feat. He averages a modest 36.76 in 81 matches (eight hundreds, 25 fifties). He has compiled 341 runs so far in the World Test Championship 2021-23. Meanwhile, Tamim Iqbal has the second-most runs for Bangladesh (4,981).
West Indies are occupying the seventh spot in the World Test Championship standings for the current cycle. They have a PCT of 35.71. They have collected two wins, three losses, and two draws across four series. Lastly, they beat England 1-0 in a three-match series.
