Bangladesh will face Pakistan in a two-match Test series. The series opener is scheduled to take place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from Wednesday (August 21), whereas the National Stadium in Karachi will host the second Test from August 30. Ahead of the crucial away series against the Shan Masood-led side, Bangladesh suffered a big setback on Saturday when it was revealed that star opener Mahmudul Hasan will miss the upcoming series.
The 23-year-old right-handed batter has been ruled out due to a groin injury. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is yet to announce any replacement for Mahmudul.
“We have received a mail regarding Mahmudul where it is stated that he sustained injury to his right groin, and as a result, he is being rested for three weeks,” BCB chief physician Debashish Chowdhury was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz on Saturday.
Hasan, who has 623 runs to his name in 13 Tests played so far, sustained the injury while fielding for Bangladesh A during a recently concluded match against Pakistan A in Islamabad. Due to the injury, he was unable to bat in the second inning.
His injury is bad news for the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side because Hasan was in good touch these days. He had scored 65 runs in the first inning against Pakistan A. He also scored 69 and 65 runs in the four-day match that he played as part of the High Performance Unit against Pakistan A in Darwin last month.
