DHAKA, Aug 17, 2024 (BSS) - Senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim is expected to be fit ahead of the first Test against Pakistan but opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy was ruled out of the two-match series, which is the part of ICC World Test Championship.

Mushfiqur suffered a finger injury while Joy sustained a groin injury during the first four-day game against Pakistan A in Islamabad. Bangladesh A salvaged a draw in the rain-hit game, largely dominated by the home side.

Joy was only the shinning spot in Bangladesh’s disastrous batting show, hitting 65 in the first innings as Bangladesh were all out for just 122. Both of them couldn’t bat in the second innings due to their injury.

“During a net session ahead of the second innings of the first four-day game, I received a finger injury. Hopefully I will recover very soon and will play the first Test,” Mushfiqur said in a video sent by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) media department today.

Mushfiqur and Joy were included in Bangladesh A squad to prepare them well for the two-match Test series as they have been out of competitive cricket for a long time. The first Test starts on August 21 in Rawalpindi and the second final Test is in Karachi from August 30.

Bangladesh which is set for a training camp in Lahore had already moved to Rawalpindi for the opening Test.

“We have some Test series coming up. So I think the game time will help the players who were in Bangladesh A squad. We wanted to have some practice before the national team comes here. Hopefully it will be beneficial for us,” Mushfiqur added.

“It’s disappointing that the four-day game was interrupted by rain, so the practice was not ideal. In the first few days, we had some net sessions.

 However we tried our best but we couldn’t do well in the first innings.”

Meanwhile BCB chief physician Dr Debashis Chowdhury informed that it will take three weeks for Joy to recover fully from his groin injury.

Joy has been in superb form in red-ball cricket of late. Before playing 65 runs knock against Pakistan A, he scored 69 and 65 against Pakistan Shaheens in a four-day game for Bangladesh HP in Australia.

 He also took 5-21 in that match to help Bangladesh HP win the game.

The BCB is yet to announce the replacement of Joy for the Test series against Pakistan.