The Bangladesh Cricket Board intends to send a full-strength squad at the Asian Games 2014 in a bid to retain the gold medal Bangladesh won in China four years ago.
The selectors named a 27-member preliminary squad for the Games, which will be held in Incheon, South Korea, in September-October this year.Mushfiqur Rahim, Sakib al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Mashrafee bin Murtaza, Sohag Gazi, Abdur Razzak, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Rubel Hossain and Al Amin Hossain are among the few drafted into the preliminary squad.
The decision is somewhat surprising given the strength of the previous Asian Games squad led by Mohammad Ashraful. Bangladesh had sent a second-string squad in Guangzhou that contained some promising young cricketers like Nasir Hossain and Sabbir Rahman, who later broke into the national side.
Bangladesh beat Afghanistan in the final to win the first cricket gold in the Asian Games after the game was included in Guangzhou meet for the first time.
It was the first ever gold medal for Bangladesh in any discipline of the Asian Games. Previously Bangladesh’s best success in the continental meet was limited to winning the silver medal in Kabaddi.
‘We want to send the best possible side so that we can retain the gold medal that we won in Guangzhou,’ national selector Minhajul Abedin told New Age on Saturday.
In 2010 when cricket was introduced in the Asian Games, India decided against sending its team and Pakistan and Sri Lanka squads had missed their best cricketers. Only ICC Associate member countries sent their full national sides and Afghanistan almost pulled off an upset before a cameo from Sabbir saved Bangladesh’s blushes.
It could not be ascertained if the other regional giants will participate in the discipline and how strong a side they will send. However, Bangladesh are unwilling to take any chance.
Also there is no age bar for the players unlike the past edition when only a few players over 23 years of age were allowed.
‘As there is no age bar this time we feel that all participants will try to send their best possible teams,’ added Minhajul.
The matches will be played in Incheon, a city located in the north-west of South Korea, from September 19.
The Bangladesh national team will end their tour of West Indies just two days before the event and with no international commitments in the next three weeks it looks all but certain they will directly travel to Incheon.
-With New Age input
