All-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz will lead Bangladesh team in the ICC Under-19 World Cup for
the second time in a row as hosts Bangladesh named a 15-member squad for the tournament on
Wednesday. Mehedi led Bangladesh to plate title in the previous edition in UAE two years ago and was
tasked with a bigger responsibly at home, where the expectation is much higher. The ICC Under-19 World Cup will be held from January 27 to February -14 in four cities–
Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar.
Hosts Bangladesh are placed in Group A alongside defending champions South Africa,
Scotland and Namibia. The home side retained the same squad that played in the recent
tri-nation tournament in India.
Vice-captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Saeed Sarkar, wicketkeeper Zakir Hasan and Joyraj
Sheikh are four other cricketers who played in the previous edition of the tournament in
UAE.
Two players-Saif Hasan and Joyraj have already crossed the 19-year age barrier but
officials said that it will not be an issue as the cutoff date for the age for this
tournament was September 1.
Bangladesh will start their campaign against South Africa in Chittagong before taking on
Scotland at Cox’s Bazar on January 31.
The hosts will end their group stage with a match against Namibia at Cox’s Bazar on Feb 2.
Mehedi said he is optimistic with the squad as it had developed since 2014 as a group and
showcased their talent in different tournaments and series.
‘I think we are much more confident than we had been two years ago,’ he said. ‘We have
defeated some big teams in the recent time that boosted our confidence.’
Stuart Law, the Australian technical adviser for the squad will arrive on January 2.
SQUAD
Mehidi Hassan Miraz (Capt), Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Joyraj Sheikh, Pinak Ghosh, Saif Hasan,
Zakir Hasan, Saif Uddin, Shafiul Hayet, Saeed Sarkar, Mehedi Hasan, Abdul Halim, Sanjit
Saha, Saleh Ahmed Shawon, Ariful Islam, Jaker Ali.
-With New Age input
