Injury-hit Bangladesh look to young pacers ahead of T20I series against Pakistan
Lahore [Pakistan], May 27 (ANI): With senior seamers Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed sidelined due to injuries, Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons is banking on the rest of the pace attack to step up for the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan, starting Wednesday in Lahore, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Taskin remains out with a lingering ankle injury that has kept him away from competitive cricket for two months, while Mustafizur sustained a thumb injury during his final Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 appearance for Delhi Capitals (DC) last week.
'You miss your senior seamers,' Simmons said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
'As we saw, how Fizz (Mustafizur) was bowling in the IPL then. We will miss him. It is also a chance for somebody to take his place in this series. Let's hope one of the bowlers decide that he wants to fill in for Fizz in this series. Our bowling is usually our stronger suit in this format. But having two senior bowlers, Taskin and Fizz, out, then it balances off,' he added.
In Mustafizur's absence, the selectors have drafted in Khaled Ahmed. However, they have opted not to name a replacement for Nahid Rana, who withdrew from the tour citing personal reasons. Alongside Khaled, the pace unit includes Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Hasan Mahmud, and Shoriful Islam. All-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz has also been brought in to replace the injured Soumya Sarkar, for strengthening their bowling attack.
Despite a 2-1 series loss to the UAE, Simmons remains optimistic. He said the team is in good spirits and eager to bounce back with a strong showing in Lahore.
'It was difficult to lose the series in UAE, but then sometimes that lifts you up. Our morale has been great, so we are hopeful (the result in UAE) will lift us up,' he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
'I think there's always a great chance of winning the series. People keep saying Pakistan are not playing well. Again, it is about what happens on the day. We have a good chance of winning the series here. We are working hard very hard to try to improve in all aspects. Hopefully we get better in this series,' he added.
The series will also mark the beginning of a new chapter for Bangladesh's fast-bowling department, with Shaun Tait joining the coaching staff for his first assignment as pace bowling coach on a two-year contract. Simmons noted that Tait, along with spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed, both of whom were involved in the recent Pakistan Super League with Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi--will bring valuable insights into the opposition's strengths.
'I think he (Tait) will be brilliant not just for the bowlers, but for the team in general. We will assess the situation here. Mushy was in the PSL right through so we will get information from him and make our decisions,' Simmons noted.
With experienced names missing, the responsibility now falls on the young seamers to deliver. Shoriful Islam, the most experienced among them, will be expected to lead from the front.
Bangladesh will face Pakistan itheir three T20Is at Gaddafi Stadium, scheduled for May 28, May 30, and June 1. (ANI)
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