Dhaka: Bangladesh chief selector Habibul Bashar has expressed disappointment at the absence of fast bowler Nahid Rana from the upcoming two-Test series in Australia, describing the injury-enforced omission as a major setback. But he insisted the team must move forward with the players available. Nahid was ruled out of the tour after sustaining an injury during Bangladesh's recent series against Zimbabwe, where he was included as part of the preparations for the Australia assignment.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bashar remarked in a press conference at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium that Nahid Rana is a special bowler, and his absence is a significant regret for the team. Despite this, Bashar emphasized the importance of accepting the situation and focusing on fielding the strongest possible combination from the available players.
Bashar stressed the need to move forward with the current squad, which includes players like Taskin, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, and Ebadot Hossain. He defended the team management against criticism regarding Nahid's injury, highlighting that the pacer's workload had been carefully monitored through GPS-based data.
The chief selector explained that injuries remain an occupational hazard for fast bowlers, and despite advances in workload management, the risk can never be completely eliminated. He added that injuries to several key players delayed the announcement of the Australia-bound squad, with selectors hoping that some players would recover in time.
Bashar expressed that while they aimed to finalize the team earlier, the injuries of crucial players impacted their plans. Ultimately, they formed the best possible team with the available fit players and remain hopeful of performing well in the upcoming series.