Mushfiqur Rahim has pushed forward a request to the Bangladesh selectors to allow him to opt out of the T20Is on the forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe. However, the Bangladeshi batting stalwart is available for the Test and ODIs to be played during the trip.
Although the request hasn’t been approved yet, the Bangladesh chief selector Minhajul Abedin express his sympathies with Mushfiqur.
“Mushfiq has requested for a break during the T20Is, but he is available for the Test and ODIs. I think he may be tired after playing for so long, which is why he wants the leave. We will decide once he officially informs the cricket operations department,”
Abedin was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Mushfiqur, one of Bangladesh’s best-ever cricketers, has played cricket continuously within tough bio-security regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic since October last year.
He initially took part in two successive domestic tournaments and then faced West Indies at home before travelling to New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh hosted Sri Lanka again last month, after which first-choice cricketers such as Rahim joined their respective teams in the Dhaka Premier League T20 that started on May 31.
This is the second time since early last year that Mushfiqur has asked for a break for reasons other than injuries. The experienced wicketkeeper-batsman had refused to travel to Pakistan in March 2020, citing safety concerns.
Bangladesh are expected to be in Zimbabwe for a month spanning June 29 to July 28, starting with a hotel quarantine of around five to seven days. They’ll play a one-off Test, followed by three ODIs and then three T20Is, which could be scheduled on July 23rd, 25th and 27th, respectively.
After returning from Zimbabwe, Bangladesh are set to host Australia, New Zealand and England in limited-overs assignments ahead of the T20 World Cup, for which they’ll need Mushfiqur at his very best, not just in terms of form but physical and mental fitness as well.
