Afghanistan suffered another setback in their pursuit of a challenging target against Bangladesh in the Abu Dhabi Test, as captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was forced to leave the field after being struck by a fielder’s throw on the fifth day.

Afghanistan resumed their innings on Tuesday, 13 October, after finishing the fourth day on 132 for three while chasing Bangladesh’s target of 479 runs. Shahidi’s injury came early in the day, leaving Afghanistan without one of their experienced batters at a crucial stage of the match.

The incident occurred during the third over of the fifth day, bowled by Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz. On the fourth delivery, Sediqullah Atal took a single. As the batters completed the run, a throw from a fielder struck Shahidi on his leg pad.

The Afghanistan captain, who had scored 20 runs, began limping following the impact. The team physiotherapist came onto the field to provide initial treatment, but Shahidi was unable to continue batting. He subsequently left the field with the physiotherapist’s assistance, retiring hurt.

In cricket, a batter is recorded as having retired hurt when an injury or physical discomfort prevents them from continuing their innings. Depending on their recovery and the circumstances of the match, they may be able to return to bat later.

Following Shahidi’s departure, wicketkeeper-batter Ikram Alikhil joined Atal at the crease. Afghanistan needed to preserve their remaining wickets while steadily reducing the substantial target set by Bangladesh.

At the time of writing, Afghanistan had reached 149 for three after 57 overs. They still required 330 runs to win, while Bangladesh needed seven more wickets to secure victory.

Shahidi’s injury added to the pressure on Afghanistan at a time when the team needed a sustained batting effort to remain in contention. His possible return to the crease could prove significant, depending on the severity of the injury and his recovery.

For Bangladesh, the immediate priority was to capitalise on the situation by taking wickets and preventing Afghanistan’s batters from building partnerships. With a sizeable target still to chase, the contest remained finely poised between Afghanistan’s attempt to mount a recovery and Bangladesh’s push to finish the match.