Shoriful heads to Australia as Jaker and Musfik fly home before series begins

Bangladesh have received a double injury boost ahead of their Test series in Australia, though two members of the touring party are already on their way back home before a ball has been bowled.

Shoriful Islam passed his fitness test on Monday after recovering from the hamstring injury that forced him off the Zimbabwe tour early.

He reached his maximum bowling workload on Tuesday and departed Dhaka on Wednesday night to join the squad.

The left-arm pacer is expected to be considered for the second Test, which begins in Mackay on 22 August.

With Shoriful cleared to travel, Jaker Ali and Musfik Hasan have been released from the squad and are returning to Bangladesh without having featured in any match.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed both players will instead focus on preparations for the Bangladesh A tour of South Africa, which includes two four-day matches against South Africa A beginning on 23 August and a three-match one-day series from 6 September.

Litton Das has also been cleared for the first Test after fully recovering from injury during the squad's time in Darwin.

He has not played competitive cricket in two months, but his return to the middle order is a significant boost following Bangladesh's troubled warm-up, in which they were dismissed for just 54.

Bangladesh are without Nahid Rana for the entire series, leaving their pace attack short of firepower. Shoriful's return for the second Test would at least partially ease that concern.