Bangladesh chief selector Habibul Bashar has expressed regret over the absence of fast bowler Nahid Rana for the upcoming Test series against Australia. The 23-year-old seamer was ruled out of the two-match tour—Bangladesh's first Test visit to Australia since 2003—after sustaining a side strain. Bashar emphasized that the injury occurred despite the team's adherence to a strict workload management policy, which utilizes GPS tracking to monitor player fitness and rotation.
According to Bashar, Rana was managed carefully throughout the year, noting that the bowler did not participate in every match when Australia toured Bangladesh in June. The selection team had specifically planned for his availability during the Australian series. Rana has enjoyed a standout year, claiming 44 wickets with four five-wicket hauls. His unique combination of pace and bounce made him a key prospect for the challenging Australian conditions. The injury followed a busy period where Rana troubled Australian batters in the June ODI series before being rested for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe. Although he returned for the subsequent ODI series and recorded impressive figures of 6-21, his tour ended prematurely due to the side strain.
Bashar defended the team's handling of the bowler, explaining that while they were cautious, they needed to ensure he remained match-ready by bowling a sufficient number of overs. He noted that the injury was unfortunate and could have occurred regardless of the schedule. Addressing criticism regarding the team's performance, Bashar dismissed claims of external pressure and attributed recent losses to poor batting rather than issues with the bowling lineup. He expressed confidence in the remaining pace attack, including Taskin Ahmed, to step up when they face Australia in Darwin (August 13-17) and Mackay (August 22-28).
Regarding the recall of Soumya Sarkar, whose last Test appearance was in 2021, Bashar acknowledged a level of desperation due to a lack of experienced opening options. Soumya has only played white-ball cricket for Bangladesh over the last few years, and this year averaged just 20.22 across seven ODIs and two T20Is. With younger prospects not yet ready for Test cricket, the selectors turned to Soumya for his familiarity with playing pace bowling. The team remains concerned about the form of Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who has been sent to South Africa with the A team to regain his rhythm. Despite the setback of losing Rana, Bashar remains focused on moving forward with the current squad for the upcoming Tests.
