Mustafizur Rahman set to be sidelined for six months due to shoulder injury

In a development which could affect Bangladesh team’s fortunes for the immediate future, talismanic bowler Mustafizur Rahman is set to be ruled out of action for six months. The 20-year old requires surgery on his shoulder after being hampered by injury issues in the previous season.

The left-armer played a couple of Natwest T20 Blast games for English county side Sussex during which the injury flared up again forcing him to miss out on the remainder of the tournament. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have been deliberating on conducting the operation in either England or Australia.

A medical specialist based in UK diagnosed a SLAP (Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior) tear on the cartilage ring adjoining the shoulder joint’s socket. An operation to treat the condition might see the seam bowler needing extensive rest for six months.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, BCB’s Media Committee Chairman Jalal Yunus revealed, “In the last few days we have sent his reports to a number of places. We want him to be operated under the best surgeons. We have found two specialists in the UK and one in Australia.”

He added, “By Monday we can decide who will operate on Mustafizur's shoulder. He is mentally prepared for the operation. This sort of injury usually is treated conservatively but we are not going that way with Mustafizur because the doctors have said that it might recur in the future.”

Though Bangladesh are scheduled to host England in October, the prevailing security situation in the country has placed the tour under considerable doubt. However, a trip to New Zealand at the end of the year beckons and Mustafizur may not be available for selection then.

He had to be pulled out of the 2016 Asia Cup because of a side strain and another bout of fitness troubles stalled him from joining Sussex much earlier. But, Yunus insisted that the board was doing everything possible to help the pacer.

Yunus felt, “We are taking the best care of Mustafizur. We have always withdrawn him from matches whenever he has complained of any physical problem. We haven't seen him in Test matches that much. He has focused mostly in the shorter versions. We didn't send him to the PSL because he had injury. He had offers from the CPL. So that he is not overstressed, we are not letting him play when he has a problem.”