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Shakib | Mustafizur Bangladesh to play last T20I match against New Zealand without Shakib, Mustafizur
Dhaka, September 10: Bangladesh will take on visitors New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I of the ongoing series without the services of talisman Shakib Al Hasan and pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman.
Friday's match will be a dead rubber after the hosts won the fourth T20I and took an unassailable 3-1 lead.
Unlike Australia- who faced a 0-5 defeat here a few weeks ago- New Zealand fought back valiantly after suffering a humiliating loss in the first match. The Blackcaps lost the closely-fought second match by four runs and made the hosts taste their own medicine in the third match by securing a comfortable win.
However, Bangladesh held their nerves and won the fourth match by six wickets and five balls to spare, to collect their first T20I series win against New Zealand.
According to reports, Shakib and Mustafizur will be rested in the fifth and final T20, as they will go to play in IPL. It is believed that the two stars want to keep themselves fit and prepare for this. The second round of the IPL will start on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The IPL was called off last May due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the chief selector Minhazul Abedin Nannu was contacted in this regard, he tried to bypass the matter.
He said he had heard from the team management that Shakib and Mustafiqur won't play the last match.
However, it is not yet known who will replace these players, or if there will be replacements for them, if at all.
