Mustafizur Rahman dropped from squad at final moment due to undisclosed reasons

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Mustafizur Rahman was set to play in the first One-Day International against New Zealand, with his name even printed on the team sheet. However, the announcement at the toss revealed his unexpected absence from the match.

Team management had initially planned to field the same squad that secured a 2-1 series victory against Pakistan. This intended lineup was officially released by the Bangladesh Cricket Board shortly before the game.

Rahman reported discomfort in his right knee during pre-match warm-ups. This minor injury was cited as the reason for his exclusion by team manager Nafis Iqbal.

The situation led to a last-minute alteration to the team. As Rahman conveyed his discomfort, teammate Mehidy Hasan Miraz was preparing for the toss with New Zealand captain Tom Latham. Upon learning of Rahman’s issue, head coach Phil Simmons consulted with the captain, resulting in the team change.