Mushfiqur Rahim ruled out of New Zealand series with hamstring injury

29-year old Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim has been ruled out of the New Zealand series with a hamstring injury, something that will certainly come as a big blow as far as the overall context of the tour is concerned. Chandika Haturusingha, the coach of the Bangladesh cricket team went on to release a statement about the same.

Haturusingha stated that he expected Rahim to make it back into the fold within the next couple of weeks. “We are looking at two weeks, anything before is a bonus,” he said on the eve of the second ODI in Nelson.

Mushfiqur Rahim has been one of the best batsmen for the Bangladeshis in the recent edition of the cricketing season and was also forced off the field in the first ODI at Christchurch after scoring an impressive 42. New Zealand would go on to win the match by an impressive 77-run margin.

“He’s been one of the form batters as well as the wicketkeeper for a long time, across all three formats, so it’s a blow but that’s part and parcel of the game,” Hathurusingha said.

Youngster Nurul Hasan will make his way into the ODI side and will also be subsequently handed a debut for the same. The Saxton Field in Nelson where Bangladesh hold the record for the highest score at the ground with 322-4 against Scotland during the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

“History says we have played well here. It’s a good thing and it’s not a long way back, with most of the players involved in that game, so it’s a good memory for them,” he said.

“That kind of thing helps. Even in the last game, getting 270, although we lost a couple of early wickets, has given us confidence going into the next game.”