Tamim Iqbal Ruled Out Of Afghanistan Test With Lower Back Injury
Tamim Iqbal ruled out of Test against Afghanistan. (PC: Twitter)
Bangladesh suffered a huge setback ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan as veteran opening batter Tamim Iqbal has been ruled out with a lower back injury. The hosts are already missing the services of their star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has been nursing a finger injury.
Tamim felt discomfort in his back while batting and fielding in the training. The 34-year-old batted for nearly 20 minutes in the nets to determine the condition of his back but it was far from being ready to play a five day game.
The Bangladesh team management remained patient and waited till the end to take a call. The medical team kept Tamim under their supervision and tried their best to make him match ready.
"Tamim has been experiencing lower back pain which has troubled him from time to time. Our treatment and procedures focused on reducing the pain and improving his functional ability but unfortunately, his condition hasn't improved," Bangladesh team physiotherapist, Muzadded Alpha Sany, said in a statement released by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Tamim, who is one of the most experienced players in the squad, has been suffering such lower back issues for some time now. There has not been any replacement announced yet but with Tamim missing out, Bangladesh will most likely have a new opening pair in Mahmudul Hasan and Zakir Hasan.
This is the second time in the last three home test series where Tamim has been ruled out of action due to injury. The southpaw missed the home series against India in December last year due to a groin injury.
The one-off Test is set to commence from Wednesday, June 14 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. Litton Das will be captaining the Bangladesh side in absence of Shakib Al Hasan.
 "Kaushik Kashyap")
