Mustafizur ready for all formats, says BCB director Khaled Mahmud

A long injury lay-off has held back top Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman from making a Test return but Khaled Mahmud, a director of the BCB, says he is now ready for all three formats in the Sri Lanka series.

Bangladesh will tour Sri Lanka next month with Khaled Mahmud as the team manager. The former captain said the management would keep an eye on Mustafizur’s condition there.

“Actually I think he is ready to play in any format. But it comes through a process of selection. We must keep in mind that he is an important cricketer for us,” Mahmud said on Thursday.

The talismanic left-arm pacer went under the knife in August last year following a recurring injury on his bowling shoulder which he initially suffered in November, 2015 against Zimbabwe at home.

Mustafizur later played in the World Twenty20 and then the Indian Premier League in the first-half of 2016 without any trouble. But the injury resurfaced following his county debut with Sussex in Natwest T20 Blast.

He then underwent the surgery.

“He has returned from a major injury. We must handle him with care, so that he can play for many days,” Mahmud added.

The 21-year-old youngster returned to the Tigers’ fold in December on their tour of New Zealand, which marked the team’s first overseas bilateral series after more than two years.

There he played in two ODIs and as many T20s but did not feature in the Test matches. He was also absent from Bangladesh’s recent first Test trip to India.

Mustafizur played two matches for the South Zone in Bangladesh Cricket League as he battled to regain full fitness.

He bowled with his natural pace and grabbed four wickets, signalling he is close to returning to his best.