Mustafiz starts training to get back to the field
On Sunday, he was seen sending down a few overs to Mahmudullah at the Indoor Stadium in Mirpur at a shorter run-up. The left-arm seamer practised for 45 minutes.
Mustafizur Rahman was in excellent form leading up to the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup but was nowhere near his best in the tournament. His dismal performance with the ball saw him getting dropped in the latter part of the tournament. The left-arm seamer was ruled out of the remainder of the recently concluded home series against Pakistan after sustaining a side strain during the second T20I.
He is not playing in the ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) - Bangladesh's franchise-based first-class tournament - due to the strain. But he is trying hard to get back into shape.
The second round of the BCL was underway on Sunday. Walton Central Zone locked horns with the Islami Bank East Zone at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Mustafizur, despite not being part of any of the team, turned up at the stadium to train ahead of his comeback.
Mustafizur is not currently a hundred per cent fit which was evident from his training process. He has started bowling, but not at full pace.
On Sunday, he was seen sending down a few overs to Mahmudullah at the Indoor Stadium in Mirpur at a shorter run-up. The left-arm seamer practised for 45 minutes.
Dr. Debashish Chowdhury, the chief physician of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stated that Mustafizur needs some more time to recover. "He is yet to get back to his full rhythm. He bowled at a slower pace and his run-up was shorter. He will have a gym session tomorrow and then increase the intensity the next day. For now, there is no pain while bowling," he said.
Mustafizur is likely to return to action in the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). "He will increase the intensity gradually. If he continues to feel no pain, then we will be able to decide when he will possibly come back. We will monitor his progress. He himself will understand as well. Everything will be clear in a few days," added Dr. Chowdhury.
The final of the BCL will commence on 2 January after the completion of the third round. A one-day tournament is likely to follow the BCL. The BCB is planning to start the BPL on 20 January and Mustafizur will be back there if he does not recover before the BCL ends.
