The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) named a 15-person team today for the first and second One-Day Internationals of this month’s three-match series against New Zealand in Dhaka. Mahmudullah Riyad and Tamim Iqbal made comebacks.
After the England series at home in March of this year, Mahmudullah was facing the firing squad because to his struggles with the willow.
Due to a persistent back injury, Tamim was forced to skip the Asia Cup.
Along with Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and the pace three of Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, and Shoriful Islam, Captain Shakib Al Hasan was sleeping.
Shakib won’t be leading the team; Liton Das will.
The hitters Naim Sheikh, Afif Hossain, and Shamim Patwari, who were all a part of the team that competed in the Asia Cup, had nowhere to go.
Soumya Sarkar, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, and Tamim Iqbal also joined Mahmudullah Riyad and Mahmudullah Riyad on the side.
Left-hander Zakir Hasan, pacer Syed Khaled Ahmed, and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain are the team’s uncapped players.
“The decision to rest players was taken in consideration of the World Cup in India which will be a long tournament where ensuring the mental and physical fitness of the cricketers will be very important. The series against New Zealand provides us an opportunity to take a look at some other players as well ahead of this major event,” Chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nanni said here today.
“The squad is a blend of experience and youth and only Zakir, Khaled and Rishad have not featured in ODIs yet. Zakir was very close to playing against Ireland in March before he suffered an unfortunate injury. Khaled has done well in his list A career and Rishad offers a different dimension to our bowling attack.”
The Bangladesh team will commence training on September 19 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
The three ODIs against New Zealand are slated to be held on September 21, 23 and 26. All of the matches will be held in Mirpur.
Squad (for 1st & 2nd ODIs): Liton Das (Captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Zakir Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Khaled Ahmed.
