Sports Reporter :
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on Tuesday the 16-mmember Bangladesh Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Pakistan. Chief Selector of BCB Minhajul Abedin Nannu announced the much-awaited squad.
Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Saifuddin were ruled out due to injury. Ace batsman Mushfiqur Rahim was not called in the squad.
Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das and Rubel Hossain were dropped from the squad.
Some promising cricketers have been included in the squad. They are: Najmul Hossain Shanto, Akbar Ali, Captain of Bangladesh Under-19 Cricket team, which emerged the champions in the ICC Under-19 World Cup recently have been included in the squad. Saif Hasan, Yasir Ali, Shohidul Islam have been included in the squad. Aminul Islam Biplob, who was stand-by in the Bangladesh T20 World Cup squad has been called in the main squad.
Mahmudullah Riyad will lead the squad against the three-match T20I series against Pakistan. Mohammad Naim, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shamim Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed have been recalled in the squad.
When the newsman asked Nannu was Mushfiqur Rahim dropped from the squad, Nannu said, ” The Team Management did not drop him. He was only out of the T20I squad. We gave him leisure. There are upcoming four Test matches for us. Bangladesh will play two Test matches against Pakistan. After that, Bangladesh will play two Test matches against New Zealand. We gave rest to Mushfiq for the three T20I matches only. He will return through Test matches against Pakistan.”
Hosts Bangladesh will take on Pakistan in the first T20I match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the city’s Mirpur on November 19, the hosts will face the visitors in the second T20I match at the same venue on November 20, Bangladesh will meet Pakistan in the third T20I match at the same venue on November 22. All the matches will start at 2.00pm (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah Riyad (Captain), Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Yasir Ali, Mohammad Naim, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shamim Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Aminul Islam Biplob, Nasum Ahmed, Shohidul Islam and Akbar Ali.
