With Tanzid Hasan receiving his first call-up to the ODI team for the 2019 Asia Cup, Bangladesh is looking to the future. One of the two openers chosen to fill in for Tamim Iqbal, who is recovering from a back ailment, is the 22-year-old with the nickname Tamim.
The 17-man team for the Asia Cup was expanded to include left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed, all-rounder Mahedi Hasan, and batter Shamim Hossain. Following the selection of skipper Shakib Al Hasan as the ODI captain the day before, chief selector Minhajul Abedin made the news on Saturday, meeting the ACC’s deadline.
The other top-order candidate that Bangladesh is considering is Mohammad Naim. Last month, he faced Afghanistan. Shamim recently earned a spot in the ODI team thanks to his T20I performance against those opponents, while all-rounder Mahedi was chosen to strengthen the spin bowling unit.
The selection committee’s main concern when choosing the Asia Cup roster was how to handle the seasoned Mahmudullah. In March of this year, he last competed in ODIs against England. The selectors stated in March that he was being “rested” and that he would not be playing in the ODI series against Ireland or the match against Afghanistan in July. Mahmudullah, however, is still passed over by the team management since people like Shamim, Afif Hossain, and Mahedi were seen to be superior to him.
In the beginning, we had extensive conversations regarding Mahmudullah, Abedin remarked at the press conference. “After taking into account the obstacles and circumstances, we have dissuaded him. I believe the management of the team made the right choice. We have discussed it with the captain and coach.
Tamim is now receiving treatment for his back issue and has also given up the ODI captaincy. In an effort to get healthy in time for the ODI series against New Zealand starting on September 21, he saw a specialist in London last month.
The ODI team against Afghanistan included Rony Talukdar and Taijul Islam, although they weren’t included in the Asia Cup roster. Along with a successful Dhaka Premier League (DPL) performance last season, Tanzid scored three fifties in the recent ACC Emerging Nations Cup. Mahedi, on the other hand, had a mediocre DPL season but performed admirably in the ACC competition.
Abedin added, “We are quite confident about Tanzid Hasan,” as he justified the team’s decision to include so many relatively inexperienced players. He has received a lot of care from the High Performance programme. In the Emerging Cup, he performed well. I’m hoping he can provide the squad with something.
“Naim performed admirably in domestic cricket. He performed poorly in the Emerging Cup. However, his circumstances are secure. He also has some experience working abroad. He has been given a second chance as a result.
“Mahedi was hurt while playing in the BPL. He missed a lot of time. He played for our T20I team. He performed admirably in the Emerging Cup. In the Asia Cup, he can demonstrate some talent.
Shamim has been a part of our team since he was a teenager. As a result of getting selected for the T20 World Cup in 2021, he saw a decrease. He recently overcame. Recently, he has performed effectively in T20Is. He can play cricket well, which gave us the confidence to choose him.
The Asia Cup match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is scheduled for August 31 in Pallekele.
Hasan Mamhud, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Litton Das, Tanjid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mamhud, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain
IN: Mahedi Hasan, Tanzid Hasan, Shamim Hossain, and Nasum Ahmed
OUT: Rony Talukdar, Taijul Islam, and Tamim Iqbal
