Bangladesh have picked uncapped left-handed opener Mohammad Naim and young leg spinning batting all-rounder Aminul Islam Biplob in their 15-member squad for the third and fourth Twenty20 internationals in the ongoing Twenty20 tri-nation series.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who has played two Tests and three ODIs so far, makes a return to the national side and has received a call-up to the T20I squad for the first time. Pacers Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam also make a return in the T20 setup.
Nabi 84* and Mujeeb four-wicket haul lead Afghanistan to record-breaking win
“We picked Naim Shaikh as he is one of our future prospects. He is playing well for quite some time and we feel it is the right time to see how he handles the pressure of international cricket,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin told Cricbuzz on Monday regarding the inclusion of the explosive opener. “Our coach wants a leg spinner badly so felt that we can have a look at Biplob as he had improved his leg spin remarkably recently.”
Minhajul added that they included Rubel and Shafiul at the insistence of head coach Russell Domingo, who feels pacers can be a better option against Afghanistan. Soumya Sarkar, who made scores of 4 and 0 so far in the series, has been dropped and Minhajul expressed disappointment with his performances adding that it is high time he gets back some confidence through runs in the domestic circuit.
Afif 50 takes Bangladesh to thrilling last-over win against Zimbabwe
Bangladesh have enjoyed mixed success in the tournament so far. While they picked up a thrilling win over Zimbabwe, the hosts lost to Afghanistan comfortably by 25 runs on Sunday. They will play the two sides again before a potential final on September 24.
Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (C), Mushfiqur Rahim (WK), Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Liton Das, Afif Hossain, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mohammad Naim Shaikh, Aminul Islam, Najmul Hossain
