‘Difficult to keep fast bowlers injury-free’: Bashar on Rana blow ahead of Australia tour

Bangladesh Cricket Board chief selector Habibul Bashar said it was unfortunate that Nahid Rana got injured in Zimbabwe and admitted that the speedster could have been left out of the T20Is there. However, he reiterated that it is difficult to keep fast bowlers free from injury.

The BCB selection panel has come under scrutiny after Rana was ruled out of the upcoming two-match Test series in Australia with a side-strain injury. The tour is Bangladesh’s first Test tour of Australia in 23 years, and Rana’s pace, bounce and movement had already stirred excitement both at home and abroad, especially with the prospect of him testing his skills on Australia’s fast, bouncy pitches.

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Yet Rana got injured playing white-ball cricket in Zimbabwe despite his importance to the Tigers’ red-ball plans, especially for a series in Australia. Bangladesh have already qualified for the upcoming T20 World Cup, and Bashar was asked where the selection panel went wrong with Rana. Bashar said workload management data had verified that Rana was fit and available, and that he had even been rested for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe.

“We didn’t play Rana against Australia [at home in June] in all the matches. He was played in two ODIs and then given a break before he played T20Is. According to workload management, he was available for the Test [against Zimbabwe], but we were extra cautious due to the Australia Tests. Previously, we explained why the three fast bowlers were rested even as all three were fit,” Bashar said at a press conference on Monday.

“He was fine in the ODIs and in the T20Is. He played one T20I before getting injured in the next. It is unfortunate. Definitely you could have not played him. The ODIs were part of the World Cup equation, but the T20 World Cup is in another two years,” he added.

Bashar admitted that they could have left Rana out in Zimbabwe, a decision that would have looked far more convincing in hindsight.

“We categorise their workload into Red, Green and Yellow zones. If a bowler bowls too much, they enter the Red zone and risk injury; if they bowl too little, they also risk entering the Red zone. They need to bowl an optimal amount in the Green zone before playing a Test match. We can't just bench a fast bowler and expect them to perform safely in a Test; they have to bowl a certain number of overs to be match-ready.

“Definitely nothing would have happened if he had not played. Unfortunately, he got injured, but it could have also happened in Australia. No matter what you do, if you look at history, it is difficult to keep a fast bowler injury-free. We are managing things and taking extra care of him at every moment, but it is unfortunate for everyone,” he concluded.