Bangladesh's pace attack has been dealt a potential blow with Shoriful Islam's participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup opener against Sri Lanka on June 7th in jeopardy.
During the final over of India's innings in the warm-up match on Saturday, Shoriful, the left-arm fast bowler, attempted to stop a powerful drive from Hardik Pandya. Unfortunately, the ball struck his bowling hand, causing him visible pain. He was immediately taken off the field by the Bangladesh team physiotherapist, Bayjedul Islam Khan.
Following the incident, Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) chief physician, Dr. Debashis Chowdhury, confirmed that Shoriful required six stitches on a split between his index and middle finger on his left hand.
Dr. Chowdhury stated, "We will revisit Shoriful in two days to assess his recovery progress and determine the timeframe for his return." They will have six days until Bangladesh's opening match to make a decision regarding Shoriful's availability.
Shoriful's potential absence adds another layer of concern for Bangladesh's bowling attack. With Taskin Ahmed already recovering from a side strain, the team could be without their two frontline fast bowlers for the crucial opening match.
Despite the setback, Shoriful was one of the few bright spots for Bangladesh in the warm-up match. He managed to bag one wicket for just 26 runs conceded in his spell.
The next two days are crucial for Bangladesh as they wait to assess Shoriful's recovery. His absence would force them to adjust their bowling strategy for the Sri Lanka match.
