Bangladesh opening batter Tamim Iqbal has been ruled out of their upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, starting Wednesday, due to lower back pain.
The batter had been struggling with the pain since official practice for this match started on Sunday, and on Tuesday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board officially confirmed his unavailability due to injury.
"Tamim has been experiencing lower back pain which has troubled him from time to time. Our treatment and procedures focused on reducing the pain and improving his functional ability but unfortunately, his condition hasn’t improved sufficiently for him to play the Test match," national team physio Muzadded Alpha Sany said in the BCB statement.
He added, "He has felt stiffness and pain while batting and fielding in training and has not been able to complete the physical preparation required to play for five days."
This means Zakir Hasan and Mahmudul Hasan Joy are the likely pair to open the innings for Bangladesh in the coming Test.
