Saifuddin, Yasir Ali out of West Indies ODIs and T20Is

Bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin has been ruled out of the white-ball leg of Bangladesh's tour of the West Indies. Saifuddin was deemed not fit enough to bowl after recovering from a back injury. It is the second pullout due to back injuries in as many days after Yasir Ali was also ruled out from the ODIs and T20Is on Wednesday.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the selectors are likely to ask a couple out of Tamim Iqbal, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Ebadot Hossain to be part of the T20I squad as they are in the Test and ODI sides. The ODIs are the last segment of the West Indies tour, so the selectors don't have to fly in a replacement from Dhaka.

Bangladesh's injury count for the tour has reached three after quick bowler Shohidul Islam had already been ruled out of the Tests and T20Is due to a side strain he suffered during training.

Saifuddin trained with the white-ball specialists in Dhaka during the last few weeks when his bowling fitness was deemed insufficient. Yasir, meanwhile, was in the West Indies with the Test squad where he found out he had to return home.

"Although Saifuddin is training, we feel that at the moment he has not reached the bowling fitness level required to cope with the intensity of international cricket. He will miss the West Indies series as he continues his rehab and works on his fitness," Dr Debashis Chowdhury, BCB's chief sports physician, said.

Yasir, meanwhile, picked up the injury during the practice match in Coolidge which had ruled him out of the Tests.

"Yasir Ali has not been recovering as anticipated from his back injury and could not start his rehab," Bangladesh physio Bayjedul Islam said. "As he is still restricted in his physical work after nearly two weeks of rest, we can conclude that his injury time will be extended. He will be missing the remaining matches and is therefore out of West Indies series."

Yasir made his international debut in all three formats in the last eight months, rising through the ranks after being with the Test squad throughout 2021. He is seen as an understudy batter, who was going to play in Mushfiqur Rahim's absence. Saifuddin has been injury-plagued for much of his five-year international career. He got the back injury during the T20 World Cup last year.

The second Test of the series will begin on Friday before the T20Is are played on July 2, 3 and 7 in Roseau and Providence. The three ODIs will be played in Providence on July 10, 13 and 16.