Sports Desk:

Bangladesh one-day international skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza was ruled out of three-match one-day international series against Sri Lanka after he sustained a hamstring injury on Friday.

Mashrafee, who was taking part in Bangladesh’s final training session ahead of the tour in Mirpur, damaged his hamstring while bowling in the nets.

The nature of his injury appeared serious, which prompted the team officials to rule him out immediately.

‘Murtaza [Mashrafee] injured his left hamstring during training today [Friday],’ BCB chief physician Debashis Chowdhury said in a statement.

‘He received immediate MSK ultrasound examination which has revealed a grade-1 injury. It is a recurrent injury that could take around three to four weeks to recover from. Therefore, he is ruled out from participation in sporting activity for a month,’ he said.

The BCB named opener Tamim Iqbal as interim captain in Mashrafee’s absence as regular vice-captain Sakib al Hasan was rested for the series.

All-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin was also ruled out for the series after he aggravated the old back injury, BCB cricket operations chief Akram Khan confirmed New Age.

Pacer Taskin Ahmed and all-rounder Farhad Reza were immediately called as Mashrafee and Saifuddin’s replacement.

Mashrafee earlier attended a press-conference in Mirpur along with interim head coach Khaled Mahmud.

The cricketers had performed their individual training sessions for the final day before the press-conference.

Mashrafee joined them later after the event.

The 35-year old cricketer, who played the ICC World Cup with some hamstring problems, claimed at the press conference that he was doing all-right and was ready to take the Sri Lanka challenge.

‘I have practiced for two days and there was no injury issue with me,’ Mashrafee had told in the press-conference.

Bangladesh team will leave for Sri Lanka today to play the series.

The matches of the series are scheduled on July 26, 28 and 31 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.