Bangladesh Cricket Board has been allowed to delay its announcement of the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup Twenty20 2022.
Asian Cricket Council Saturday approved BCB’s request to delay the announcement of the squad citing several injury concerns.
BCB can now name the squad for the six-nation tournament by Thursday instead of Monday's deadline.
Illness has been growing in the Bangladesh camp after three cricketers picked up injuries during the first match of the three-ODI series against hosts Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club Friday.
Bangladesh lost the game by five wickets to Zimbabwe, the first in nine years in this format.
Bangladesh lost opener Liton Das for the remainder of the series to a hamstring injury sustained during the game, after scoring 81.
Liton has been ruled out of action for at least three weeks.
Two pacers – Taskin Ahmed and Shariful Islam – are also being bothered with niggles.
Left-arm fast bowler Shariful was also unable to complete his 10-over spell in the first ODI after apparently hurting his knee while trying to grab a return catch off his own bowling.
According to reports, experienced Bangladesh campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim and left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman also incurred niggles following the first ODI loss to Zimbabwe.
Such is the situation that the Bangladesh think-tank is struggling to chalk the playing XI for the second ODI of the series against Zimbabwe Sunday.
BCB amid the situation announced the inclusion of batter Mohammad Naim and fast bowler Ebadat Hossain for the third and final game.
Wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan and middle-order batsman Yasir Ali Chowdhury are also recuperating from respective injuries.
Nurul, the Bangladesh T20I captain for the tour of Zimbabwe, was forced out of action for at least three weeks due to a fractured finger picked up during the second T20I in Zimbabwe.
The list of injuries has put Bangladesh national selection panel in a dilemma to form the squad for the Asia Cup set to begin in United Arab Emirates from August 27.
“Since quite a few players of our team are injured, it is difficult for us to submit the squad for the Asia Cup as per the deadline. Our request to extend the cut-off date for three more days has been granted by the ACC,” BCB cricket operations committee chairman Jalal Younus to the media Saturday.
There is also the dilemma of naming the T20I captain.
It was almost confirmed that the board would announce Shakib al Hasan as the T20I skipper for the upcoming Asia Cup and so on.
However, yet another dispute between the BCB and Bangladesh cricket’s poster boy has forced the board to delay its decision.
The cricketer’s involvement with betting site Betwinner's sister concern Betwinner News as the brand ambassador did not go down well with the BCB.
It is understood that the board has already informed Shakib, who is already leading Bangladesh in Tests, that he would be made T20I captain only if he backs out from the deal with the betting related news website.
BCB in its short list of captains for T20Is has Mahmudullah and Nurul as options.
Bangladesh in the Asia Cup are set in Group B and will compete against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in the group stage.
Bangladesh will begin their campaign taking on Afghanistan on August 30 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium and in the second and final group phase game will face Sri Lanka at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 1.
Top two teams of the two groups will proceed to the Super 4 stage of the competition where the teams will play each other.
The two teams who finish top in the Super 4 will meet in the grand finale, set to be held at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 11.
