Masseur arrives after injury

That Mushfiqur Rahim suffered a hamstring injury while chasing a quick single during the first one-day international against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch yesterday is a cause for concern for Bangladesh.

He is not only a key player of the team but also the Test captain who is scheduled the lead the Tigers in the two-match series after the conclusion of the ODI and T20 parts of a very demanding and gruelling series down under.

He picked up that injury while diving at the non-striker's end to complete a run. The first impression everyone got when he was lying on the ground for quite awhile and waving at the dressing room for assistance was that there might be a bit of bruise. He was running smoothly before that and there was no symptom of any hamstring issue.

But after being treated by the Bangladesh team's new physio Dean Conway on the pitch, the right-hander started limping and finally decided to walk off the field after scoring 42. Later it was disclosed that he had a problem with his left hamstring, which is quite natural for a player. He will undergo a scan 48 hours after sustaining the injury and is currently undergoing ice-pack treatment.

Considered one of the fittest players in the team Mushfiqur retired hurt once before, complaining of a cramp during a T20 International against Zimbabwe earlier this year. Although the absence of a masseur in the national team since the Tigers left for Australia on December 9 has nothing to do with his injury, it is still quite an interesting revelation that this important cog has not been included in an otherwise high-profile support staff.

Actually a masseur reached Christchurch yesterday. His name is Sohel and happens to be very popular with the players, understandably because he plays an important role in relaxing those tiring limbs. The board has recently roped in Englishman Conway till the 2019 World Cup, and his inclusion actually completed a highly professional support staff for the Tigers.

But the question is why the Bangladesh Cricket Board, for whom money is not an issue, failed to provide a masseur when the Tigers set off for Sydney after being involved in non-stop cricket for 45 days during the Bangladesh Premier League. That man may cost the board a penny considering the amount of money they are spending for a lot of purposes, but ignoring the importance of a fringe staff can have a contributing effect in damaging a now robust Tigers outfit.