Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur can brave the knife, but not the needle

For a young Mustafizur Rahman, being prickled with needles is more worrying than going under the knife.

After going through a surgery on his left shoulder in England, the 20-year-old Bangladeshi seamer returned to Bangladesh on Monday.

Sharing his experience of the surgery with journalists at the Dhaka airport, Mustafizur said he had to overcome the fear of needles first.

"I'm not used to taking injections, maybe that's why the sight of it scares me. I felt maybe the injection will hurt me and the surgery will not. That's the fear I had to conquer first," he said.

After county team Sussex Sharks had roped him in, Mustafizur flew to England, bubbling with enthusiasm over the opportunity to learn new tricks.

But the injury struck him after just two matches to leave the talismanic left-arm seamer frustrated.

"Including this time, I had to go to England twice and picked up injuries on both occasions. I was with the Under-19 team on my first visit…Overall, it wasn't good."

Mustafizur's surgery was performed by specialist surgeon Andrew Wallace at Cromwell Hospital on Aug 11.

"They have instructed me about what I need to do after the operation. [BCB's lead physician Dr Debashish Chowdhury] explained how I have to do them. My work will multiply after four weeks."

Before going to England to stay by Mustafizur during the surgery, Dr Chowdhury, who termed the rehabilitation process 'critical and complicated', had said it might take the bowler five to six months to fully recover.

Another Bangladeshi pacer Rubel Hossain also went through the same surgery in South Africa.

According to Dr Chowdhury, it took Rubel about nine months to recover.

Bangladesh are scheduled to take on England at home some time later. Mustafizur, who will still be doing his rehabilitation, will have to watch the series from the sidelines.

But Mustafizur hopes to return with full fitness.

"I will naturally feel bad if I can't play [in the England series]. But the condition of the injury is [getting better]. It will get even better with rehabilitation."