Asia Cup 2018: Mushfiqur and Mustafizur set to miss match against Afghanistan

Bangladesh have made an impressive start to the 2018 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), defeating Sri Lanka by 137 runs in Dubai. Mashrafe Mortaza and Co are scheduled to play their next match against Afghanistan at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi and will be looking to top Group B on the backs of another resounding victory against the might of the Afghans.

In the meantime, it has been learned that Mushfiqur Rahim and Mustafizur Rahman are set to miss the contest against Asghar Afghan’s men as per reporters in the UAE. Mushfiqur played a valiant knock of 144 runs from 150 deliveries against the Lankans but developed a rib injury while batting owing to which he didn’t he didn’t field and Liton Das kept wickets in place of him.

Who replaces them?

Nazmul Hossain Shanto took the field as Mushfiqur’s substitute. Mustafizur has been injury-prone throughout his career and recently recovered from a toe injury. Bearing in mind his injury-prone nature, the management will rest the speedster and keep him afresh for the Super 4’s. Nazmul Hossain and left-arm fast bowler Abu Hider Rony are likely to make their debut.

While Nazmul has an experience of one Test, Hider has donned the national colours in 10 T20Is. Previously, the Tigers were jolted with a body blow when their experienced opening batsman Tamim Iqbal was ruled out of the tournament after he injured his wrist in the second over of the last contest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Dubai after which he was declared unfit.

Bangladesh haven’t had the best of times against the Afghans in recent times. They played a three-match T20I series against them earlier this year in June and were beaten black and blue. The Afghan spinners, especially Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, both of whom kept a check on the runs apart from picking up wickets at regular intervals and restricted them.

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