DPDCL in contention before selection of Tigers for WC

The ongoing Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPDCL) has suddenly come to the contention before the selection of Bangladesh national squad for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup scheduled to begin on May 30 in England and Wales, reports UNB.

Talking to the media on Wednesday, Chairman of the Cricket Operations Committee of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Akram Khan said they are closely observing the ongoing DPDCL ahead of the formation of the World Cup team. BCB chief selector Minhazul Abedin Nannu also echoed Akram.

"No one will be considered as automatic choice without a good performance in the ongoing league though the thing is different for most of our senior guys. Some of the young guys didn't perform well so far in the league which is a big concern for us," Akram told reporters on Wednesday.

He also said the BCB selectors will discuss the final squad of the World Cup after two or three matches of the Super League which is yet to be scheduled by the BCB.

"I'm not in the position to say anything about the squad right now because we didn't sit to discuss the team yet. We're following the performance of many players (in Dhaka League). Since we'll play in English condition, we'll have more pacers than usual, and this is why we are following many pacers. We'll complete the selection process after the two rounds of the Super League. After that, we may announce the team around April 18," Minhazul Abedin said.

Some of the national players are taking part in the Dhaka League but they are yet to show their best performance. Minhazul insisted that the poor performance of the national players is alarming ahead of the World Cup.

"The World Cup is the biggest event of the game of cricket. So, it's usual to have some tension before announcing the final squad. We're worried about the performance of some players. But still, we want to see their performance in the first three matches of the Super League," Minhazul further told reporters.

Meanwhile, the chief selectors said they did not receive any report from the physio of the national team regarding Mohammad Saifuddin who is reportedly playing in the league with an elbow injury.

"We don't have any report from the physio saying that Saif is not ready to play due to an injury. He was in rest for a period of two weeks after coming back from New Zealand. He took lesser rest compared to others; it's his own matter. If he thinks that he's fit to play, we don't see any problem in his taking part in the league," Minhazul concluded.