A recurrence of pain in his hip has now ruled him out of the tournament, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) planning to send him abroad for further treatment.
Nahid sustained a side strain while playing T20 cricket during Bangladesh’s recent tour of Zimbabwe.
The injury ruled him out of the Australia tour, while he was also left out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan as he continued his rehabilitation.
The BCB had planned to bring the right-arm pacer back through the tri-nation series to prepare him for the important home series against the West Indies.
However, he began experiencing hip pain towards the end of his rehabilitation, prompting the selectors to leave him out of the ODI squad.
There are also concerns that Nahid could miss the West Indies series, although chief selector Habibul Bashar said the pacer has not yet been ruled out.
“Our plan was to play Nahid Rana in the tri-nation series to prepare him for the West Indies series. He has been ruled out of the tri-nation series because he is not ready to play. However, he has not yet been ruled out of the West Indies series. We are taking things one step at a time,” Bashar told the media.
The BCB are unwilling to take any unnecessary risks with the promising fast bowler, who remains an important part of Bangladesh’s plans.
“Of course, we will wait until the last moment for him. At the same time, he is an asset for us, and we do not want to rush his return. We do not want to take risks just to get him back on the field. I think the BCB is making every effort to bring him back in the best possible way,” Bashar said.
Nahid is set to undergo another scan following the recurrence of pain, while the BCB medical department is exploring options to send him overseas for treatment.
Qatar was initially considered as a possible destination, but visa complications could prevent the trip. The United Arab Emirates is another option, although similar visa issues remain. If neither destination is feasible, the BCB are considering sending him to Singapore or Australia.
Bashar admitted that it was difficult to provide a definite timeline for Nahid’s return, stressing that the board would make every effort to get him fit as soon as possible.
“He is undergoing a scan, and it is possible that he could travel abroad as soon as possible. We are making every effort to bring him back, but at this stage, we cannot give an exact timeline. He could still play in the West Indies series; he has not been ruled out yet. For now, that is how we are proceeding,” the chief selector said.
The upcoming Test series against the West Indies and South Africa will be important for Bangladesh’s World Test Championship campaign.
Although Nahid will miss the tri-nation ODI series, the team management are hopeful of getting him fit for at least one Test against the West Indies.
The BCB believe that even a single appearance in that series could help Nahid regain match fitness ahead of Bangladesh’s subsequent tour of South Africa, where they hope he will be available for all the Tests.
“Of course, we will not have him in the tri-nation series. Now, let us see whether he can play even one Test against the West Indies. If he can, hopefully he will be able to play all the Tests in South Africa. So, we are still optimistic,” Bashar added.
