The Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan said on Monday that they will dig deep regarding the speculation of a rift in the team over the participation of pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman in New Zealand series.
Nazmul stroked the fire when he stated publicly in a private television channel that section in the team is not interested about playing Mustafiz in the New Zealand series.
Mustafiz just played two one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches in New Zealand while he has been rested from the opening Test match in Wellington.
‘This speculation [regarding Mustrafiz] came to my knowledge while someone else told me but there is no confirmed source,’ Nazmul told reporters in an impromptu press conference, clarifying his words.
‘We cannot respond a thing that is just a speculation, we need to talk to the management, team players and the player himself before coming to a conclusion,’ said Nazmul at the press conference held at his Beximco office in capital.
Nazmul insisted that he believed it is just a rumour and there is no truth in it.
‘If we find there is some kind of truth into it definitely we need to take action accordingly but still there is nothing truth into it,’ he said.
Nazmul said that he asked the team management to sit with Mustafiz to see if he is feeling any kind of discomfort after the team hastened his comeback from a shoulder surgery that took place in August.
‘I have regular interaction with him. Before the third Twenty20 international he told me that he was feeling pain and I was worried. I immediately asked the team management to sit and find out about his problem because we cannot take risk with him.
‘I came to know Mustafiz have very good rapport with Bayzid [Bayzidul Islam- former physio of Bangladesh side] and he told me that he have a pain on his back and it is still continuing. I asked them not to field him if he is having any pain,’ he said.
The BCB president earlier in his interview with private channel said that Mustafiz had developed new injury in his waist which had nothing to do with his operated shoulder.
Nazmul said that Mustafiz will not be available for Indian Premier League if there is even the slightest of doubts over his fitness.
Mustafiz helped Sunrisers Hyderabad lift their maiden IPL title last year and the franchise retained his service for this season as well.
‘If he is even one per cent unfit physically, he would not be available in IPL,’ said Nazmul.
‘BCB won’t take any risk regarding him as far as his fitness is concerned.’