|| CF DESK ||

Bangladesh pace bowlers Rubel Hossain and Hasan Mahmud have been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka as both players have to undergo rehabilitation due to injuries.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief selector Minhajul Abedin confirmed the matter to Cricbuzz on Sunday May 16."Both of them (Rubel and Hasan) are ruled out as we don't want to include anyone in the squad with any kind of doubt (with their fitness),''

Further, BCB's chief physician Debashish Chowdhury informed to Cricbuzz "Rubel is having an injury that usually happens to pace bowlers with a long career. It is a common problem with pace bowlers with a career spanning over 12 to 15 years. Due to this injury, we have seen a lot of pace bowlers' careers ending abruptly."

"When we were examining him, there was no problem, but he said that he was having discomfort, and so we decided that he should go through rehabilitation. It will not be cured fully, but he (Rubel) needs to manage it and play. We will sit with him if the problem persists to an extent that it is unbearable and decide the further course of action. Injections should help. Operation is our last resort." He added.

Debashish also informed that Hasan Mahmud had suffered a soft tissue injury on his back during the tour of New Zealand.

On the other hand, Mohammad Saifuddin and Mossadek Hossain have recovered from injuries and will be available for Bangladesh’s ODIs against Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan cricket team arrived in Dhaka on Sunday May 16 to play three ODIs against Bangladesh. Bangladesh will play the first ODI of the three-match series on March 23 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The second and third ODIs of the series will be played on March 25 and March 28 at the same venue.