With Bashar out of action for at least a month, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday announced wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud as captain for the rest of the tour.

The 33-year-old hurt his left hand while trying to take a catch at first slip during the second ODI in Harare on Sunday. The skipper came off the field after suffering the injury and Mashud captained the side in his absence, which Bangladesh won by 62 runs.

An X-ray on Monday morning done by Dr. Coric, an Yugoslav orthopaedic surgeon, confirmed a fracture on Bashar's left hand.

"He (Bashar) has a small fracture on his left fifth metacarpal and the injury would need four to six weeks to heal," said team physio Paul Close to BCB's official website tigercricket.com.

He also informed that the Bangladesh captain would undergo total wrist immobilisation during his recovery period.

The injury of Bashar served a blow in Bangladesh's quest for their first away series win in the best-of-five game that is currently tied at 1-1.

It is the second time the leading batsman suffered an injury blow since he took over from Khaled Mahmud in January 2004. Bashar had earlier missed two ICC Champions Trophy games in England in 2004 and two Tests at home against New Zealand due to a broken thumb.

The board is, however, yet to take a decision on whether Bashar would stay back in Zimbabwe or return home immediately.