Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim and opener Imrul Kayes will both be forced to sit on the sidelines for the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch.

Rahim was found to have a hairline fracture in his thumb, while there are also concerns after he was struck on the neck even though no damage was found when he underwent scans.

“His finger injury is worse,” Bangladesh physiotherapist Dean Conway told reporters. “The hairline crack that has been found is new. He will need to give more time for this injury.”

As for the blow Rahim took to his neck, Conway revealed that doctors in New Zealand have advised Rahim not to take to the field for at least three weeks.

“Doctors in New Zealand usually advise not playing for three to four weeks. In England they advise not taking the field for two to three weeks. In that regard, Mushfiqur may need three to four weeks to return,” he said.

With Rahim out, opening batsman Tamim Iqbal will take over as captain for the second Test, while the uncapped Nurul Hasan is likely to don the keeping gloves.

Iqbal made it clear that Rahim’s neck issue was not a factor in the decision to leave him out of the side.

“The injury he got when he got hit by a bouncer, that’s absolutely fine. It’s just the thumb we’re worried about,” he said.

Iqbal will also have a new opening partner as Kayes was ruled out of the match since he pulled a thigh muscle, which has restricted his mobility.

It is unclear who will replace Kayes, but it is likely that Soumya Sarkar could come into the side. The 23-year-old played the last of his three Test matches back in June 2015.