The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has defended its decision to recall Mustafizur Rahman for the upcoming Zimbabwe T20I series, despite the fast bowler’s impressive performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
BCB’s cricket operations chairman, Jalal Yunus, stated that Mustafizur has nothing more to gain from playing in the IPL. “Mustafizur’s learning process is over. Rather, there are many players in IPL who can learn from him. Bangladesh will not benefit from this,” Yunus said.
Yunus emphasized that the BCB’s primary concern is Mustafizur’s fitness. “They [CSK] don’t have a headache about his fitness, but we do. The reason we are bringing back Mustafizur is not just to play in the Zimbabwe series, but if he is brought here, we will plan him with the workload. But that plan won’t happen if he’s in IPL,” he added.
Mustafizur has been a key player for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2024, taking 10 wickets in the first five matches. However, Yunus believes that Mustafizur’s experience in the IPL is not necessary for his development.
“We are letting Mustafizur play till May 1. He’s coming back on May 2 and will be available from the following day,” Yunus said.
Mustafizur is expected to play a crucial role in Bangladesh’s T20I series against Zimbabwe, which will be followed by a series against the United States of America.
