Pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman, young pace bowler Abu Haider Rony and wicketkeeper-batsmen Nurul Hasan and Mohammad Mithun are preparing for their first ever appearance in the limited-over World Cup after being named in the 15-man squad for the upcoming World Twenty20.
Rony was included in the squad following impressive displays in the Bangladesh Premier League T20. The 19-year guided Comilla Victorians to the title, picking up 21 wickets in 12 matches, and recently made his international bow in the shortest format of the game against Zimbabwe last month.
Nurul, on the other hand, was also rewarded for his recent run of form in BPL 3 and the four-match T20 international series against Zimbabwe.
Nasir Hossain and Mithun, meanwhile, returned to the national set-up after missing the last series against the Zimbabweans.
“We all know about Nasir’s ability while Mithun played brilliantly for Bangladesh A in the tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Nasir also impressed during the training camp in Khulna recently. And we think Mithun is a specialist T20 player,” said chief selector Faruk Ahmed yesterday.
According to Faruk, the conditions in Dharmasala, where Bangladesh will play their qualifying matches, will assist the pacemen so the national selection panel has decided to name five members – captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Taskin Ahmed, Al Amin Hossain, Mustafizur and Rony - of the pace battery.
BANGLADESH WORLD T20 SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (C), Shakib al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Al Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Arafat Sunny, Abu Haider, Nurul Hasan
Stand-by
Imrul Kayes, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, Muktar Ali