Bangladesh will be without their two key pace bowlers, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, in the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan due to injuries. Despite their absence, head coach Phil Simmons remains optimistic about the team’s performance and is enthusiastic about working with the new pace bowling coach, Shaun Tait.
Taskin has been sidelined for two months with an ankle injury, while Mustafizur sustained a finger injury last week during the IPL while playing for Delhi Capitals.
“We’ll definitely miss our senior pacers. Bangladesh’s Mustafizur was in great form in the IPL. But this opens up opportunities for others to step up and prove themselves. Pace bowling is our strength in this format, but missing both Mustafiz and Taskin disrupts our balance a bit,” Simmons said during a training session in Lahore on Monday.
Bangladesh’s To fill the gap left by Mustafizur, Khaled Ahmed has been called up to the squad. However, no replacement has been named for Nahid Rana, who pulled out of the tour for personal reasons.
Bangladesh’s pacers Tanjim Hasan Shakib
The pace unit will now rely on young talents such as Tanjim Hasan Shakib, Hasan Mahmud, and Shariful Islam. In the spin department, Bangladesh’s all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz has been included, with Soumya Sarkar unavailable due to injury.
Simmons expressed high hopes about the impact of Australian Shaun Tait as the pace bowling coach. Tait will be working alongside Mushtaq Ahmed, who has vast experience coaching in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Simmons believes both will provide valuable insight into local conditions.
“Tait brings great value not just for our bowlers, but the entire squad. He understands fast bowling and conditions well. Mushtaq also knows the local environment through his PSL experience. Their knowledge will help us make better decisions on the field,” Simmons added.