"They wanted me for three matches" - Taskin Ahmed explains snubbing PSL to stay fit for England series
Bangladesh speedster Taskin Ahmed has said that he denied an offer to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for Multan Sultans to prepare for the upcoming limited-overs series against England. The right-arm pacer said that he doesn't regret missing the IPL, as it would have impacted his fitness.
Ahmed suffered an injury on his left leg during the Sylhet phase of the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League and was later diagnosed with Grade-1 tear. So, he missed a couple of games with Dhaka Dominators.
We're off to Bangladesh in March!
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Speaking to Cricbuzz on Saturday, the pace spearhead revealed that his physio had advised him not to partake in the PSL and instead concentrate on fully recovering from his injury:
"They wanted me for three matches. Initially they wanted me from February 17 for three matches, and afterwards I spoke with the physio and he said I can go, but it would be better if I do bit more training to recover fully from the injury."
The 27-year-old added that he's determined not to miss the high-profile series against England:
"It's a matter of couple of matches, but by playing there, if I missed the upcoming series against England, but would have looked bad. And because I am recovering from an injury, it is important that I get fully fit, and so I don't have any regrets about missing PSL."
The Dhaka-born pacer last played for Bangladesh in the two-Test series against India at home, which they lost. He missed the first Test and bagged figures of 16-0-62-1 in the second.
"Playing in the national team is my main goal" - Taskin Ahmed
Taskin Ahmed also added that playing for the national team remains his priority, as he reckons good performances will eventually land him a franchise gig. He added:
"The board had given me remuneration, and I don't have any regrets. Playing in the national team is my main goal. In the national team, if I can do well consistently today or tomorrow, there will be opportunity to play foreign T20 leagues because at the end of the day, we all work hard for playing in the national team, and if that goes well, eventually, I will play in the franchise-based T20 competitions abroad."
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announces the squad for the first two ODIs of next month’s three-match series against England.
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The limited-overs series against England begins on March 1, with Dhaka hosting the first of three ODIs. Jos Buttler will captain the tourists.