Bangladesh's premier pacer to play no further part on Zimbabwe tour with injury

Bangladesh’s premier left‑arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing tour of Zimbabwe after scans revealed a grade‑1 muscle tear in his right hamstring along with meniscal degeneration in his right knee. The 30‑year‑old featured in the opening ODI at Harare Sports Club on Monday, July 6, but will now return home for rehabilitation.

Injury during series opener

Mustafizur experienced discomfort while bowling in the first ODI and reported it to the physio. He managed six overs, conceding just 19 runs at an economy of 3.16, before coming out to bat at No. 10 in a tense finish. His 5 runs off 14 balls ended with his dismissal by Richard Ngarava, as Bangladesh fell 25 runs short while chasing 142.

Scans conducted the following day confirmed the extent of the damage, ruling him out of the second ODI on Thursday, July 9. Without their spearhead, Bangladesh faltered in pursuit of 248 and lost by 13 runs, and now stare at a potential whitewash in the three-match series.

Mustafizur will now fly home to begin his rehab, with hopes of regaining fitness in time for Bangladesh’s two‑match Test tour of Australia starting August 13. The series is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle, making his recovery crucial for Bangladesh’s campaign.

Recent battles with injury

This setback comes after Mustafizur had already been managing a knee issue following his stint in the Pakistan Super League. That injury kept him out of the first two ODIs against New Zealand earlier this year. On his return for the third ODI, he produced a stunning five‑wicket haul, reminding everyone of his match‑winning ability. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) subsequently withdrew his NoC for the PSL to prioritise his fitness.