Mosaddek highly unlikely for Aus series

Bangladesh batsman Mosaddek Hossain has virtually no chance of featuring in the two-Test series against Australia after an eye test revealed that he will need 14 days to recover from his eye infection, a source close to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) told The Daily Star late on Tuesday.

With the first Test taking place from August 27-31 and the second from September 4-8, the report delivered earlier on Tuesday effectively ruled the 21-year-old out of the much-anticipated series. His eye problem started before the Chittagong leg of the pre-series training camp.

Mosaddek started his Test career in the brightest fashion as one of the star performers in the victory over Sri Lanka in his debut Test in March, which also happened to be Bangladesh's 100th, and it seems the talented youngster will have to wait until the South Africa tour for his next Test opportunity. Mosaddek scored 75 in the first innings and a brief but crucial 13 during a nervy chase in the historic match. 

Mosaddek's exit from the squad -- he was earlier ruled out of the squad for the first Test on Sunday -- has spiced up the selection process. Mominul Haque, a regular in the team until the Sri Lanka tour, was overlooked from the 14-member squad on Saturday, before being included in place of Mosaddek the very next day at the intervention of BCB president Nazmul Hassan.  

Although the owner of Bangladesh's highest Test average of 46.88, Mominul suffered a dip in form last season when he averaged 23.2 from five matches. That lean run, apart from a fifty each against England in October and New Zealand in January, culminated in the left-hander being dropped from the 100th Test in Colombo.