‘Mustafizur will play SL Tests if needed’

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan said that if need be, Mustafizur Rahman will have to make himself available for the upcoming two-Test Sri Lanka series in May.

"If we need him [Mustafizur] for the Sri Lanka series, he will definitely have to play," Hassan told media yesterday.

However, Mustafizur, who is currently playing for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), told The Daily Star in an interview that the pacer is apparently not interested to play the five-day format in order to stay fit for a long time for his two favourite versions of the game -- one-dayers and T20s.

The 26-year-old was not also included in Bangladesh's latest central contract for Tests. 

"We had sent forms to players seeking information on the formats that they would consider playing. And according to that, we enlisted players [for the central contract]. Mustafizur did not put his name for Tests. He did not say that he wants to play Tests.

"However, it does not matter what he said. If we need him to play, he will have to oblige," Hassan said.

Bangladesh's pace-unit is grappling with injury concerns with the likes of Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and Ebadot Hossain all injured.

"Taskin, Shoriful and Ebadot are there in the Test side. If we keep Mustafizur too in the Test side, it will only then depend on the management if they would play him or not. But whenever he is needed, we will keep him in the squad. He will play [Tests], there is no issue about it," Hassan added.   

The BCB is yet to announce the squad for the Sri Lanka series and keeping Mustafizur in the squad would mean that the player would need to return midway from IPL, for which he has been granted NOC.