The list of fit cricketers is in the hands of the selectors. The Shakib-controversy also came to an end on Thursday with Betwinner News canceling its sponsorship deal. So there is no problem in announcing the Asia Cup team. BCB wants to complete the formalities today afternoon after the national team selection committee meeting with the team management. Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that the team of 17 may be announced as one or two cricketers have match fitness issues.
Mritunjoy Chowdhury can get a place in this list as a surprise. Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Sheikh and Soumya Sarkar can be brought back from among the old ones. Mahmudullah may not be included in the Asia Cup squad despite playing in the final match of the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. Whether or not a batsman is in the middle order depends entirely on the team management.
As three important batsmen Nurul Hasan Sohan, Liton Kumar Das and Yasir Ali Rabi are out with injuries, the batting lineup has to be arranged from the alternate list. Enamul Haque Vijay, who was left out three days ago, is the main opener in the Asia Cup squad. In the absence of Sohan-Litton, the wicketkeeper batsman Mushfiq has to be taken. The selectors have kept Soumya in mind as an alternative opener. If Bangladesh ‘A’ team does well in the three-match ODI series against West Indies ‘A’ team, Soumya’s return to the national team is certain.
However, a member of the selection panel said that any one of Soumya-Sabbir could be included in the Asia Cup squad. Openers Munim Shahriar and Parvez Hossain Imon who played in the Zimbabwe series are likely to be dropped. Munim played great in BPL and failed in national team. He scored 34 runs in five international T20 matches. The opener scored 17 runs on his debut against Afghanistan and scored 4, 2, 4, 7 in the remaining four matches. Imman also has no chance to make his debut against Zimbabwe.
Changes may also be made in the bowling department. If Mohammad Saifuddin passes match fitness, Taskin Ahmed may be rested from T20. Saifuddin will play T20 match against HP for Bangladesh Tigers in Khulna this morning. If batting, bowling and fielding can be done well in all three categories in this match, Saifuddin, who returned to the country from Dubai last year with back pain in the middle of the World Cup, will return to the national team through the desert city. The selectors have also kept Mritunjoy Chowdhury, who is on the West Indies tour of the ‘A’ team to play the four-day and one-day cricket series, on the radar. The name of the left-arm medium pacer will be proposed to the team management today. In that case, the pace bowling unit under the leadership of Mustafizur Rahman will increase the number of left-handers than right-handers.
BCB President Nazmul Hasan Papon will hold a meeting with Shakib before announcing the Asia Cup team. He may be asked why he became the product ambassador of Betwinner News without BCB’s permission. Strict messages may be given to enforce discipline. After the end of the Shakib-Papan episode, the team management and selection panel meeting. Head coach Russell Domingo will join Zoom from South Africa leaving Shakib in the meeting directly. Papon may also be in a meeting with team director Khaled Mahmud who returned from Zimbabwe yesterday.
