Injury concerns for Taskin ahead of World Cup, BPL participation in doubt

Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed may play no further part in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after missing Dhaka Capitals’ most recent match against Noakhali Express due to a knee injury.

Taskin, who featured in five of the seven matches played by Dhaka so far, was a notable absentee from the Capitals’ playing XI at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Dhaka captain Mohammad Mithun later revealed in the post-match press conference that Taskin was experiencing knee trouble and had travelled to Dhaka for medical scans.

“It’s [Taskin’s absence] the physio’s concern. He is not in a position to play. He needs a break and has gone to Dhaka for a scan. He wasn't available for this game. As far as I know unofficially, he has a chance to play from the Dhaka phase if the injury isn’t bad,” Mithun said.

When contacted, Bangladesh Cricket Board physio Bayjedul Islam Bayezid assured The Daily Star that the injury was not serious, explaining that Taskin had gone to Dhaka for a precautionary check-up after experiencing discomfort in his knee.

“It’s not that serious. It’s not that big of an issue. We had worked on this [knee injury] for 2.5 years during 2014, 2015, and 2016. He has been sent to Dhaka to go through a check up on that and to sort out the issue,” Bayezid told The Daily Star on Sunday.

Taskin has struggled to find rhythm in the current BPL campaign. In the five matches he has played, the 30-year-old has taken just three wickets while conceding runs at an economy rate of 9.77.

With the ICC T20 World Cup set to begin on February 7 and Taskin a key member of Bangladesh’s pace attack, it is yet to be seen whether he will feature again in the tournament. Dhaka Capitals, meanwhile, are enduring a difficult campaign and appear unlikely to reach the knockout stage, having managed just two wins from seven matches.

With the Dhaka phase of the BPL scheduled to begin on January 15, following the conclusion of the Sylhet phase on January 13, questions remain over whether Taskin will risk aggravating his knee issue if he is deemed fit to return.