Bangladesh has revealed its 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup in India, and it notably excludes former captain Tamim Iqbal due to concerns about his injury.
Tamim, who is 34 years old, made headlines with his sudden retirement decision in July. However, he quickly reversed that decision the following day after a request from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Tamim made his comeback to the national team just last week for the first two matches of the recent home series against New Zealand.
Tamim has long been a stalwart in the Bangladesh cricket team, known for his reliability, and he holds the distinction of being the only Bangladeshi player to achieve centuries in all three formats of the game. Nevertheless, during the final match of the series against New Zealand in Dhaka, he opted to take a break, and reports suggest that he couldn’t guarantee his participation in all matches of the upcoming World Cup.
On Tuesday, the popular Bengali newspaper Prothom Al reported that coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and captain Shakib Al Hasan emphasized the importance of having fully fit players in the World Cup squad. This emphasis on fitness appears to be a key factor in Tamim Iqbal’s exclusion from the squad.
Mihajul Abedin, the chief selector, acknowledged Tamim’s persistent injury concerns, stating, “Tamim Iqbal has been dealing with an injury concern for an extended period, which we were aware of. He made a comeback to fitness before the New Zealand series, but unfortunately, he reported an injury issue again after the first game.”
New Zealand managed to secure a series victory by whitewashing Bangladesh 2-0 in the three-match series. In light of these developments, batter Najmul Hossain Shanto, who assumed the captaincy during the series against New Zealand, has been named as the vice-captain for the upcoming World Cup.
The Bangladesh cricket team is scheduled to travel to Guwahati on Wednesday, where they will play two warm-up matches, one against Sri Lanka on September 29 and another against England on October 2. The much-anticipated World Cup is set to commence on October 5. Following these warm-up matches, the team will head to Dharamshala for their tournament opener against Afghanistan on October 7.
Bangladesh 2023 ODI World Cup Squad
Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Sakib, Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman are the players who made up the team. Shakib Al Hasan (Captain) and Litton Das (Vice-captain).
