Mushfiqur Rahim has been ruled out of Bangladesh's upcoming Test series against the West Indies after suffering a fracture on his left index finger during the first ODI against Afghanistan in Sharjah. Rahim, who was keeping wickets at the time, sustained the injury and has since been sidelined from the ongoing three-match ODI series. Medical assessments have indicated that Rahim’s recovery will take approximately four to six weeks, which means he will miss the entire two-match Test series against West Indies, set to begin on November 22 in Antigua. The injury could also keep him out of the subsequent ODI series in the Caribbean.
The 36-year-old wicketkeeper-batter’s absence is a significant blow for Bangladesh, as he has been a cornerstone of their batting lineup for over a decade. However, the team management has not yet named a replacement for Rahim in the current ODI series against Afghanistan. While Rahim is set to miss the Test series, he is expected to rejoin the squad for the ODI leg of the West Indies tour if his recovery progresses as expected.
Bangladesh’s Test squad for the series against the West Indies, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, remains mostly unchanged from the recent series against South Africa. Shanto, who had expressed interest in stepping down from the captaincy, continues to lead the team, with all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz appointed as vice-captain for the series.
The team will also be without another senior player, Shakib Al Hasan, who announced his retirement from Test and T20I cricket in September. The absence of these two key players means that younger members of the squad will have to step up in their place.
The squad for the two-match Test series is as follows:
Test Squad:
- Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain)
- Shadman Islam
- Mahmudul Hasan Joy
- Zakir Hasan
- Mominul Haque Showrab
- Mahidul Islam Ankon
- Litton Das (wicketkeeper)
- Jaker Ali Anik
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vice-captain)
- Taijul Islam
- Shoriful Islam
- Taskin Ahmed
- Hasan Mahmud
- Nahid Rana
- Hasan Murad
The first Test will be played from November 22 to 26 in Antigua, followed by the second Test from November 30 to December 4 in Jamaica. After the Test series, Bangladesh will play three ODIs and three T20Is against the West Indies.
