Will Mustafizur Rahman play Bangladesh’s opening one-day international against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval on Monday?
The 21-year-old left-arm fast bowler is eager to play but soreness and stiffness on left the side of his body — which has so far limited his athleticism while fielding, especially his ability to throw from the deep — is the most worrying aspect for the team management at the moment.
“If the coach and captain want, I will play,” said the soft-spoken Mustafizur after a training session in Christchurch on Saturday.
Mustafizur has just returned after recovering from a shoulder operation on July 22. He played the only practice game in Auckland on December 22. But despite getting into the wickets-column straightaway in that game, he looked a bit uncomfortable.
“I’m still feeling slight pain. But it’s not in my shoulder. It’s in my side. The physio said it will be there [for a while], but it’s not on my shoulder. My throwing is not good at the moment. It will gradually improve,” said the young sensation, who was recently declared ICC’s Emerging Player of 2015-16.
The team management still has one more day to make up its mind, but apart from the fielding aspects Mustafizur’s bowling fears are more mental than physical.
Source: The Daily Star
