Bangladesh pace bowlers Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed are set to travel to Perth tonight for comprehensive medical assessments, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) sources have confirmed. The visits form part of the touring side’s medical and selection process ahead of the two‑match Test series with Australia, which begins on 13 August.
Purpose of the assessments
Rana, who has already been ruled out of the Test series in Australia with a Grade 2 side strain, is due to undergo scans relating to a shin bone problem. BCB officials described the checks as routine but necessary to determine the short‑term management of the injury and to plan his return to play.
“They are leaving for Perth where they will go for overall scans. Taskin had several issues from before and he needed first‑hand assessment, so that going forward there is no problem. His assessment is mostly for prevention and he [is] available for selection,” a team management official said.
Taskin’s travel to Perth is described as largely precautionary. The bowler has carried several niggles recently and the BCB says the scans are intended to establish a clear baseline so his fitness can be managed while on tour. After the Perth assessments, Taskin is expected to link up with the main Bangladesh squad in Darwin ahead of the opening Test.
Implications for the squad and schedule
Bangladesh’s itinerant medical arrangements reflect the demands of an extended tour in Australian conditions. The second Test, scheduled to begin on 22 August in Mackay, also hinges on the recovery of left‑arm seamer Shoriful Islam, who sustained a hamstring injury in Zimbabwe. BCB sources said Shoriful is progressing and could join the squad if he passes a fitness test on 12 August.
The immediate consequences are procedural rather than strategic: the Perth scans will inform selection decisions and rehabilitation plans but, according to the BCB, are not necessarily expected to produce definitive exclusions beyond the existing designation of Rana as unavailable for the Tests.
- Nahid Rana — ruled out with a Grade 2 side strain; undergoing scans in Perth for a shin bone issue.
- Taskin Ahmed — travelling for overall scans and assessment; expected to join the squad in Darwin.
- Shoriful Islam — recovering from a hamstring injury; fitness test due 12 August for potential return in Mackay.
While the BCB framed the travel as routine medical due diligence, the use of facilities in Perth underlines the city’s role as a regional hub for high‑performance sporting medicine during international tours. The visits may also allow Bangladesh’s medical staff to consult with Australian specialists and coordinate care across the tour.
| Player | Issue | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| Nahid Rana | Grade 2 side strain; shin bone scans | Perth |
| Taskin Ahmed | Ongoing niggles; precautionary scans | Perth (then to Darwin) |
| Shoriful Islam | Hamstring injury; fitness test pending | Expected to join in Mackay if fit |
For Perth residents, the immediate impact will be limited to the city’s medical engagement with an international touring side. There is no suggestion that either player will undergo protracted treatment in Perth; the BCB expects Rana to return to Bangladesh after completing his assessment, while Taskin’s participation in the tour remains a possibility.
Selection and team composition for the two Tests will be finalised closer to the opening match in Darwin, once the BCB’s medical team has had the opportunity to review the scans and reports from Perth. Until then, the assessments represent a precautionary step intended to safeguard player welfare and preserve Bangladesh’s bowling options on a demanding Australian tour.
