Bangladesh’s national cricket squad has suffered a significant setback ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with pace-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin ruled out of the tournament due to a severe injury. The national side has been training intensively at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur over the past few days, even staging an intra-squad practice match to fine-tune their preparations for a gold medal campaign. However, fitness concerns have now cast a shadow over their build-up.
Saifuddin has been sidelined for at least three weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury. He first reported discomfort while playing in a four-day match for Bangladesh ‘A’ against South Africa ‘A’. Subsequent medical assessments confirmed the strain, officially ending his hopes of participating in the Asian Games.
Sources within the team management revealed that a replacement for the injured all-rounder has not yet been finalised. Due to strict tournament regulations, official squad lists are submitted to organizers well in advance of the event. Consequently, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has contacted the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) to determine whether late player substitutions are permitted under current guidelines.
The squad’s injury concerns do not end with Saifuddin. Top-order batsman Najmul Hossain, who recently earned a recall to the Twenty20 international setup after an 18-month absence, is dealing with a painful foot injury. Skin on the pinky toe of his left foot scraped off during training, leaving him unable to wear standard footwear. Najmul sat out the intra-squad practice match in Mirpur and was instead seen conducting light fitness drills barefoot along the boundary ropes.
The Bangladeshi contingent is scheduled to depart for Japan on 24 September. As one of the top-ranked sides in the competition, Bangladesh will enter directly into the quarter-final stage. Their opening fixture is set for 11:00 am on 28 September, with their opponents to be decided based on the outcomes of the preliminary group stage involving Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, and Oman. Should Bangladesh progress through their quarter-final tie, they will advance to the first semi-final at 9:00 am on 1 October, where a potential clash against Sri Lanka awaits.
