Bangladesh may experiment with their squad in the forthcoming home series against Zimbabwe ahead of the busy international fixture, said selectors on Sunday.
The Tigers are all but certain to play four Twenty20 Internationals against Zimbabwe from January 14 to 20 in Sylhet as part of their preparation for the Asia Cup and ICC World Twenty20.
The Tigers, who are languishing at the 10th place in the rankings behind Afghanistan, have taken the series very seriously as they need to find the right combination before the key tournaments.
‘Certainly there will be some changes from the squad that played against Zimbabwe,’ selector Minhajul Abedin told reporters at Mirpur on Sunday.
‘There could very well be some new faces in the squad considering the fact that we are trying to form the best possible side for the Asia Cup and World Twenty20,’ said Minhajul, without giving any name.
It was learnt paceman Abu Hider and wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan are right in the mix for selection after their strong performance in the recent Bangladesh Premier League.
With Rubel Hossain injured absent and Taskin Ahmed out of form, Hider, who claimed 21 wickets in BPL, are strong contenders to join Mashrafee bin Murtaza, Mustafizur Rahman and Al-Amin Hossain in the squad.
Kamrul Islam, who missed the BPL largely due to injury, may need to wait further for his international debut following the emergence of Hider.
Hider, who helped Comilla Victorians win the title, said that he is ready if the chances are provided and looks forward to continue with his tricks under his sleeves.
‘Every bowler has some stock deliveries and I don’t think I used everything in BPL,’ said Hider.
‘I am confident that I can trouble any batsman if I can bowl with my usual rhythm,’ he said.
Nurul Hasan could be a surprise addition to Tigers’ set up as unlike Hider he did not have a spectacular BPL. Hasan is believed to be one of the cleanest hitters of the ball among the youngsters that helped him drew the attention of selectors along with his solid-looking technique.
‘He is in with some good chance,’ said selector Habibul Bashar. ‘He is a clean hitter. A batsman of his calibre can be handy in T20 format,’ he said.
Nurul was also looking forward to the challenge.
‘I am not sure whether they will include me or not. I just want to play my natural game,’ he said.
-With New Age input
