BSS, Dhaka :
Dependable batsman Mushfiqur Rahim will have to play the three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe if he wants to play the home series against Australia in August.
If he doesn’t play, he will be dropped from the much-anticipated series against Australia at home.
The point is that Cricket Australia (CA) has made it a condition for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that each member of the T20 team be quarantined for 10 days ahead of the series against them.
This is one of the many conditions that they gave Bangladesh if they wanted to host Australia in their country during this pandemic period.
Mushfiqur, whose request for rest from the T20I series in Zimbabwe was granted, now has to play it if he wants to play against Australia. Bangladesh will play a five-match T20 International series against Australia from August 2-8.
If Mushfiqur returns to the country on July 22 after playing the last ODI of the three-match series against Zimbabwe, his 10-day quarantine will end on August 1. The Australia series will start on August 2.
But when he returns from Zimbabwe after playing a T20I series with the team, he doesn’t have to do quarantine anymore since he will be in bio-bubble. So it can be assumed that he will play T20 in the Zimbabwe tour.
“If Mushfiqur returns from Zimbabwe after playing ODIs, he will not be able to play in the series against Australia,” national team chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu said here on Tuesday.
“Because the Cricket Australia has said that in order to play with them, all the T20I members in the country have to maintain a quarantine for 10 days. He will return to the country on July 22 if he doesn’t play the T20 series in Zimbabwe. In that case, his 10-day quarantine will end on August 1. That means he can’t play against Australia. If he returns with our T20I team, he will be able to play. Because in that case he will be in bio-bubble.”
Team Australia is scheduled to tour Bangladesh later this month to play a five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series. Each match will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
