What’s the story?
Bangladesh fast bowler Rubel Hossain has been forced to undergo a jaw surgery and will be sidelined for at least a month after a freak collision with a door at the hotel where the team were staying in Birmingham, England.
The incident in question happened after the team had returned to the hotel after their semi-final defeat to India in the 2017 Champions Trophy.
Monirul Amin, the Bangladesh Cricket Board physician, clarified that the 27-year-old underwent surgery on Wednesday, June 15, and would need four to six weeks off to recover.
“We hope he will be fine after that period, and make himself available for selection for the Australia series,” Amin told AFP, referring to the reigning world champions visit of Bangladesh starting in late August for a two-match Test series.
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While the 2017 Champions Trophy proved to be a memorable one for Bangladesh, as they made it to the semi-final stage of a major ICC event for the first time in their history, the tournament turned out to a painstaking one for Rubel personally.
Featuring in all the four matches for the Mashrafe Mortaza-led side, Rubel picked up only two wickets at a high average of 95.50, turning out to be one of the worst performers in the squad.
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The details
Rubel was one of Bangladesh’s standout performers during the 2015 ICC World Cup with his match-winning heroics against England and the dismissal of Virat Kohli in the quarter-final clash against India the major talking points.
Two years down the line, the latest ICC event was anything but memorable for Rubel as he failed to do justice to his reputation as one of the key members in the Bangladesh bowling attack.
The freak injury he has sustained could turn out to be a blessing in disguise as Bangladesh are set to play again only in late August and it would allow Rubel the time to regain his composure and collect his thoughts after a terrible time in England.
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What’s next?
Australia are set to tour Bangladesh in August for a two-Test series in August this year after having postponed their tour to Bangladesh in October 2015 as well as refusing to send the Under-19 side for the ICC U-19 World Cup in early 2016 following terrorist attacks in the capital city Dhaka that claimed the lives of many foreign nationals.
The upcoming tour also has its fair share of uncertainty surrounding it with the pay dispute between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketer’s Association dragging on indefinitely with both parties refusing to give in.
Author’s take
The freak injury has sort of completed the misery for Rubel, who looked terribly out of form during his time in England. As one of the more experienced players in the squad, a lot was expected from him, but needless to say, he let the team down with his performances.
The injury-enforced time on the sidelines will hopefully help him regain his composure and Bangladesh fans will certainly hope that he gets fit in time for the series against Australia.
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