The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Tuesday announced a particularly strong Bangladesh ‘A’ side, featuring a host of national team cricketers, for the tour of England next month.
The BCB also named the Under-23 and Under-19 sides for the Emerging Nations Cup and the tour of England respectively. The Bangladesh ‘A’ side, featuring national team players Elias Sunny, Ziaur Rahman, Jahirul Islam, Naeem Islam, Anamul Haque, Sohag Gazi, Rubel Hossain and Mominul Haque, will leave for the UK on August 1.
Chief selector Akram Khan cited the New Zealand series in October as the reason behind the naming of a star-studded second-string side.
‘We have selected the squad keeping the New Zealand visit in a couple of months in mind. The national cricketers will gather experience along with the younger members of the squad,’ said Akram on Tuesday.
On the issue of the ‘A’ side’s captaincy, which was yet to be decided, Akram stated that wicketkeeper-batsman Jahirul will most likely assume the role.
Pace-bowling spearhead Mashrafee bin Murtaza was named on the standby list with the hope that he will be able to join the squad for at least the three one-day matches against the England Lions.
‘Medically, he is not fit yet,’ said Akram, ‘But he desperately needs some match practice. We kept him on the standby list, hoping that he will join the squad at the latter stages and if he can do that it will be very good news for all of us.’
The Bangladesh ‘A’ side will lock horns with different English county club sides in five one-day matches, starting with Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl on August 6.
They will go on to face Yorkshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire on August 9, 11, 14 and 16 respectively.
The second-string side will also encounter the England Lions in a three-match one-day series, starting on August 20 at Bristol. The remaining two one-dayers will take place in Taunton.
Meanwhile, the Under-23 side participating in the Emerging Nations Cup in Singapore from August 17-26 will depart with high hopes, according to Akram.
‘The Under-23s are a talented bunch and I am hopeful that they can give a good account of themselves,’ said Akram.
The Under-23 side will be in group B, alongside Sri Lanka Under-23 and the national sides of the United Arab Emirates and hosts Singapore.
The Under-23 sides of India and Pakistan, and the national sides of Afghanistan and Nepal make up group A.
The Bangladesh Under-23 side will play Singapore in their opening match at the Kallang Cricket Ground on August 17, before taking on Sri Lanka Under-23 at the Singapore Cricket Club the next day.
They will take on the UAE on August 22 at the Singapore Cricket Club in their final group game.
The top two teams from each group will go through to the semi-finals.
The Bangladesh Under-19 side will take part in a tri-series their English and Pakistani counterparts during their UK tour, with three matches against each opponent and the top two teams reaching the final at Trent Bridge on August 19.
SQUADS
Bangladesh A team
Elias Sunny, Ziaur Rahman, Jahirul Islam, Naeem Islam, Anamul Haque, Sohag Gazi, Rubel Hossain, Mominul Hoque, Shamsur Rahman, Marshall Ayub, Robiul Islam, Imrul Kayes, Roqibul Hassan, Farhad Reza and Al Amin
Bangladesh U-23 team
Litton Das, Mizanur Rahman, Myshukur Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Shabbir Rahman, Mohammad Mithun, Asif Ahmed, Alauddin Babu, Mahmudul Hasan, Nur Hossain, Taijul Islam, Nazmul Islam Apu, Dewan Shabbir Ahmed, Ariful Haque, Abu Jayed Chowdhury
Bangladesh U-19 team
Joyraj Sheik, Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain, Munim Shahriar, Musaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Rahatul Ferdous, Shaif Uddin, Jasim Uddin, Abu Sayem Chowdhury, Abu Hider Rony, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehede Hasan, Rifat Pradhan, Jubair Hossain
-With New Age input
