Bangladesh's senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim is expected to recover in time for the first Test against Pakistan, while opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy has been ruled out of the two-match series, which is part of the ICC World Test Championship. Mushfiqur sustained a finger injury, and Joy suffered a groin injury during the first four-day game against Pakistan A in Islamabad.
Despite the challenging conditions, Joy was the standout performer for Bangladesh, scoring 65 in the first innings. Unfortunately, both Mushfiqur and Joy were unable to bat in the second innings due to their injuries.
Mushfiqur expressed optimism about his recovery in a video shared by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), stating that he hopes to be fit for the first Test, scheduled to start on August 21 in Rawalpindi. The second and final Test will be held in Karachi from August 30.
Mushfiqur and Joy were part of the Bangladesh A squad to gain match practice ahead of the Test series, as they had been out of competitive cricket for some time. The team has now moved to Rawalpindi for the opening Test after a training camp in Lahore.
BCB's chief physician, Dr. Debashis Chowdhury, informed that Joy's groin injury would take approximately three weeks to heal fully, ruling him out of the upcoming series. Joy has been in excellent form in red-ball cricket recently, including scoring 69 and 65 against Pakistan Shaheens in Australia.
The BCB has yet to announce Joy's replacement for the Test series against Pakistan.
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