Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana has been ruled out of the upcoming two-Test series against Australia after scans confirmed a Grade 2 strain to his left side, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said on Saturday.
Nahid suffered the injury during the second T20I against Zimbabwe on July 17. The BCB said the injury will require about four weeks to heal, followed by another two to four weeks to gradually increase his bowling workload.
His recovery is expected to take six to eight weeks.
Nahid impressed during the Zimbabwe tour, taking four wickets in the opening T20I before the injury forced him out of the rest of the series.
The board expects Shoriful Islam and Litton Das to return later in the Australia series if their recoveries continue as planned.
Shoriful is recovering from a Grade 1 left hamstring injury sustained on July 14. He is scheduled to resume bowling on July 29 and will undergo a fitness assessment around Aug. 12. The left-arm seamer is unlikely to be available for the first Test but could return for the second, subject to medical clearance.
Litton continues to recover from a left calf injury. After consulting a specialist in Singapore, he underwent platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment on Friday. He is due to begin a running and conditioning programme on July 28 before a fitness assessment around Aug. 13. If he completes his rehabilitation, he is also expected to be available for the second Test.
Right-arm fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib remains in rehabilitation after suffering a fracture. The BCB said another scan is planned in eight to 10 weeks, with his return expected later this year, depending on the progress of healing.
Left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman is recovering from hamstring and calf injuries and continues daily rehabilitation. He is scheduled for a fitness assessment at the end of July and is expected to be available for selection after Aug. 18 if he receives medical clearance.
Bangladesh will travel to Australia in August this year to play the Tests, with the first match in Darwin from August 13 and the second match in Mackay from August 22.