Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed confirmed on Wednesday, July 22, that he has officially withdrawn from the upcoming Lanka Premier League (LPL). Taskin, who had previously obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to participate in the tournament for the Jaffna Kings, decided to forgo the opportunity to better prepare for the national team's pivotal Test tour of Australia.
Taskin explained that after playing six consecutive matches during the recent tour of Zimbabwe—where he remained to cover for the injured Mustafizur Rahman—he felt that participating in the LPL would compromise his readiness for the challenges in Australia. He noted that the back-to-back matches in Zimbabwe followed by a stint in the LPL would hamper his Test match preparation. He acknowledged that while missing the tournament carries a personal loss, the rarity of such a Test series against Australia made it a necessary sacrifice.
The upcoming tour marks a significant milestone, as Bangladesh is set to play a two-Test series in Australia for the first time since 2003. The matches are scheduled to take place in Darwin from August 13-17 and in Mackay from August 22-26 as part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh team management is monitoring the fitness of several key bowlers. Young pacer Nahid Rana is currently under evaluation after suffering a left side strain during the second T20I against Zimbabwe, which prevented him from completing his spell. He is expected to undergo medical scans to determine the severity of the injury. Additionally, left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a hamstring injury sustained during the same tour. Provided his recovery follows the standard three-week timeline, he remains in contention to feature in the opening Test against Australia.
