Saifuddin ruled out of Windies tour

Members of the Bangladesh T20I and ODI side are set to depart for the West Indies tomorrow but all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin was ruled out following his injury troubles, BCB sources confirmed.

The al-rounder sustained an injury 10 days ago and was given pain-relief injection which prevented him from bowling in the nets for a week. The bowler felt back pain while bowling yesterday and following asessment, it was decided that he would not be travelling with the team. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) later informed in a press release that although Saifuddin has recovered from his injury, he is yet to gain 'optimal bowling fitness.'

"Although Saifuddin is training, we feel that at the moment he has not reached the bowling fitness level required to cope with the intensity of international cricket. He will miss the West Indies series as he continues his rehab and works on his fitness," BCB chief physician Debashish Chowdhury was quoted as saying in the media release in the evening.

"There is some worry about Saifuddin's fitness. Our medical team has asked for two hours to assess his condition," selector Habibul Bashar told The Daily Star earlier in the morning.

"Someone new could be included if Saifuddin is ruled out. But at the moment, Shohidul Islam, Yasir Ali Rabbi are out through injury. So we have to see who can be included," he added.

Saifuddin had to return from the T20I World Cup in UAE last year due to a back injury. Following rehabilitation, he played the Dhaka Premier League, picking up 22 wickets in 14 games. He was picked for the West Indies tour after he went through a fitness test at Chattogram before the first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.