Anamul, Al-Amin recalled for Australia, South Africa series
BCB announces 29-member preliminary squad
Sports Reporter
Wicketkeeper-batsman Anamul Haque Bijoy and pacer Al Amin Hossain recalled in the preliminary squad after a long lull following their better performance in the recently concluded Dhaka Premier League (DPL).
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced their names in the 29-member preliminary squad for the upcoming back-to-back home and away series against Australia and South Africa yesterday.
Bangladesh will play two Tests only against Australia at home yard in between August and September. Thereafter, they will tour in South Africa for two Tests as many Twenty20 Internationals coupled with three-match ODI series in September and October.
Bijoy scored 596 runs off 16 match road string- the fifth best-with five half-centuries. Al Amin on the other hand took 29 wickets off 14 matches -the third best after pacer Abu Haider Rony (35) and spinner Arafat Sunny (34).
Along with them, spin all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraj, pacer Subashish Roy, spin all-rounder Sanjamul Islam, pace all-rounder Abdul Hasan Raju, leg-spinner Tanvir Hider, spinner Saqlain Sojib and pacer Mohammad Saifuddin have been named.
Actually a total of seven players have been included afresh this time ahead of the home series against the top-flight Australia who were not in the squad of the last home against England.
Mohammad Mithun, Shahriar Nafees, Rokibul Hasan, Shuvataga Hom, Arafat Sunny, Suhrawardi Shuvo, Zubaer Hossain Likhon, Mohammad Shohid, who were in the preliminary squad of the last home series against England last year, could not break into the preliminary squad.
Of them, pacer Mohammad Shohid who is struggling to fully fit following his surgery on his left-knee injury what he sustained during the last Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Presently, Shohid has been doing his rehabilitation programme under the supervision of the local physio Baijadul Islam. Last few days he started his bowling with short run-up. After the Eid vacation, the paceman will start his bowling with full run-up. According to his physio, Shohid needed two more months to be fully recovered.
BCB selection panel chairman Minhajul Abedin Nannu said that they have included some more fast bowlers keeping the four-Test matches in minds.
Weve two back-to-back series ahead. Here we will play four Test matches. For this we needed more fast bowlers. And so we recalled Al Amin Hossain, said Minhajul Abedin.
Weve seen the video of spinner Arafat Sunnys bowling action in the DPL. It has been deemed to us that his action should be subtle a bit more, Nannu said of Arafat Sunnys exclusion.
Even though Rubel Hossain underwent surgery for his zygomatic arch fracture, he has been kept in the squad as he is expected to be fully recuperated before the home series against Aussie.
All the squad players were asked to report for the conditioning camp that will be begun at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) from July 10. The selector will declare the final squad amongst the players for the Australia and South Africa series. They will put emphasis on players fitness in the camp. It is not possible to arrange Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) or National Cricket League (NCL) prior to the Australian series owing to weather and time constraints. So, Mushfiqur Rahim and company has to get down against mighty Australia without enough match preparation. But it is learnt that the board will plan to organize some practice matches before getting off their campaign against Australian side. In that case, some two or three dayer matches might be played.
Preliminary Squad:
Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarker, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Masrafe Bin Mortaza, Mahmudullah, Liton Kumar Das, Mominul Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shubhasish Roy, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Rubel Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Sanjamul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Mohammad Shaifuddin, Anamul Hoque Bijoy, Abul Hasan Raju, Al Amin Hossain, Nasir Hossain, Muktar Ali, Tanbir Hayder, Saqlain Sajib, Shafiul Islam.
