Last Updated on 37 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey
Nahid Rana’s recovery has hit a snag after the Bangladesh fast bowler felt pain in his lower back and pelvic region. Rana was ruled out of the Australia and Afghanistan Tests with a grade two side strain, and while his latest scans have not revealed any fresh injury, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) thinks a lack of strength is now resulting in discomfort when he bowls.
The BCB is preparing to get a second opinion overseas and the paceman could be out for another four to eight weeks. This could rule him out of the Test series against the West Indies and also raise concerns over his availability for a good part of Bangladesh’s South Africa tour in mid-November.
BCB wants to work on Nahid Rana’s strength before the comeback
The BCB had been monitoring Rana’s recovery keeping the West Indies Test series in mind. His latest condition, however, makes his return even harder to project. The board said Rana is fit to run but still experiences pain while attempting to bowl.
“We suspect that as to his present difficulty he is weak. It will take time to get that strength back. It’s not something that can happen overnight,” a BCB official told Cricbuzz.
“Not at the moment he’s not. He hasn’t been playing. He can run. And he looks good running. But when he tries to bowl he is in pain. We see some weakness in the back and pelvic area. We think this weakness is the source of the pain he is having. His scans have shown no sign of injury.”
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There was no inflammation visible in the scans, the official said, which has led the medical team to believe the pain is linked to weakness rather than another injury.
“We want to get his strength back. The problem is that once we’ve improved his strength, we then have to look at his workload and how to increase that safely,” he said.
Rana’s recent injury history has also played a part in his current plight. He had a shin bone injury that made it painful for him to run and then he had a side strain that kept him from doing any lower limb exercise. This meant he was away from lower-body strengthening exercises for a significant period.
It is still difficult to give a clear timeline for Rana’s return, the BCB official admitted, as being fit enough to play is not the same as being fit enough to play at his optimal level.
“There’s a difference between being ready to play and being ready to perform. I can tell you when he’s ready to participate, but it’s hard to tell you when he’s ready to perform at his best or when he’s ready to get back to playing competitively. Theoretically, it would be an average of six weeks. Maybe sooner. Maybe later. So, it is very difficult to predict at this stage,” he said.
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