Bangladesh’s wicketkeeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim will miss the Super Four clash against India to be with his wife for the birth of his second child. Rahim who returned to Bangladesh for the same reason and was expected to join the team for their Super Four Clash against India has been granted an extension for his leave. “Mushfiqur has informed us that his wife is still recovering, and he needs to be by her side and with their children at this time. We fully understand his situation and have decided to permit him to skip the game”
“We fully understand his situation, and have decided to permit him to skip the game.” BCB Cricket Operations Chairman Mohammed Jalal Yunus said in a statement.
Return of the Captain
Bangladesh is already out of contention for the final of the Asia Cup after losing back-to-back games against Pakistan and Sri Lanka and will face India in their last game of the tournament. On Friday Skipper Shakib Al Hasan, who also returned home with Mushfiqur after their defeat against Sri Lanka on September 9, rejoined the team in Colombo on Wednesday.
Bangladesh’s slim hopes of making it to the final of the tournament were trashed when India defeated Sri Lanka in the Super Four Clash on Tuesday. If that result had gone in Bangladesh’s favor then the last match of the Super Four stage between Bangladesh and India would have become a do-or-die match for Bangladesh and they would have also hoped that Pakistan lose to Sri Lanka to make their way a little easier.
But that did not happen and now they would use the match to prepare for the World Cup in India starting from October.
The Performance
It has been a poor Asia Cup for Bangladesh, where the dominant win against Afghanistan in the group stage was their only performance of note. Mushfiqur had been one of their better performers with the bat, slotting in behind Shanto and Mehidy on the list of top run-getters for the team with 131 from four innings at an average of 32.75, with the 64 against Pakistan his best outing.
