Nurul Hasan struggling to recover from finger injury despite undergoing surgery in August

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan is having a hard time overcoming the index finger injury that he sustained during the second T20I against Zimbabwe in July 2022. Playing in his first series as T20I captain of the Bangla Tigers, he was ruled out of the remainder of the series as well as the subsequent Asia Cup 2022.

While Hasan underwent surgery for the same in August, he is yet to play pain-free and struggled to keep wickets during the second Test against India, where he reportedly had to take suppositories to take the field.

Hasan's surgery took place in Singapore and was performed by hand surgeon Dr. Anthony Foo at Raffles Hospital. The process included a closed reduction and pinning procedure following which he was eligible for selection for the tri-series in New Zealand. He also featured in the subsequent T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

Expressing his worry over the poor recovery after the surgery and claiming that it could hamper his career, Hasan told Cricbuzz:

"As far as the state of injured finger is concerned, I have taken an injection after the last match (second Test against India) and that injection was a pain reliever. After that injection it (injured finger) is still numb and if stays this way it is ok but after the reaction of the injection gets over the pain might increase."

He continued:

"I played the Test series with suppository because there was huge pain and I was unable to do anything. Whenever the ball hit my left hand it was giving some kind of a shock so I was taking even the left side ball with my right hand. Let's see I have had the injection and it is expected to have a reaction for couple of months and it( my finger) might get better."

He has had a tough time of late behind the wickets. His wicketkeeping came under the scanner following a poor display during the home series against India.

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"I am not sure whether doing the surgery was wrong or bad" - Nurul Hasan

Nurul Hasan has been integral in Bangladesh's transition period and has also sprung up the leadership ladder during this time frame. He has struggled with the bat as well as the gloves since his return. Only seven of his last 12 knocks across formats have crossed single digits.

Noting that he was unsure about the decision to go under the knife to treat the injury, the keeper-batter said:

"At the moment there is nothing I can do and there is no option for me. I am not sure whether doing the surgery was wrong or bad. Now I might be feeling that if I hadn't done the surgery it would have been good. On the other hand it could have got worse if I did not do the surgery."

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) maintained the stance that injections to alleviate the pain were given after due consultation with the medical staff. BCB's medical officer said:

"We had a routine check and as per the suggestion of the surgeon we had given him an injection. We are not sure whether he will need further injection or not because we will update the surgeon about his development and he (surgeon) will decide the next course of action."

The wicketkeeper scored a vital, counter-attacking 31 during the second innings of the second Test, which helped Bangladesh take a competitive lead. However, the bowlers could not kill off the tail, leading to a narrow three-wicket defeat in Dhaka.

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