Sports
2 years ago

Bangladesh recall Afif, Ebadot for Afghanistan T20s

Published :

Updated :

Afif Hossain and Ebadot Hossain returned as Bangladesh named their 15-man squad on Sunday for next month's two-match Twenty20 international series against Afghanistan, reports agencies.

Afif was dropped from Bangladesh's T20 set-up during their recent home series against Ireland, but forced his way back into the squad after a consistent performance in domestic cricket.

He played a key role for champions Abahani Limited in the recent 50-over competition, the Dhaka Premier League, making 550 runs in 15 matches.

That also prompted Bangladeshi selectors to bring him back to the ODI squad for a three-match series against the same opponents.

Ebadot, who claimed five wickets in Bangladesh's record 546-run win in the one-off Test against Afghanistan on Saturday, played the last of his four T20s against Pakistan in December 2022.

The two T20 matches of the series will be held in Sylhet on July 14 and 16.

Bangladesh won just three of their nine T20s against Afghanistan and lost six.

The BCB has included leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in the team. He played only one T20 earlier this year against Ireland in Chattogram. Shakib Al Hasan, who missed the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Dhaka, will lead the Bangladesh side in this T20I series.

Bangladesh's next scheduled T20s are against New Zealand in December this year following this series. The T20Is against Afghanistan will be played in Sylhet on July 14 and 16 following the three ODIs. The only other time Bangladesh played T20Is at home in July was against South Africa in 2015.

"We have picked five pace bowlers and it will help us to rotate the pace bowlers and so we picked Ebadot as we feel if he is picked in the team he will be in some kind of process," BCB chief selector Minhajul Abedin told reporters on Sunday.

"Apart from the raw pace, Ebadot can be effective in shorter formats as well," he said adding that they have picked Afif as he is amongst the runs in domestic cricket. BCB earlier picked Afif in the ODI squad as well.

Zaker Ali failed to retain his place in the T20 squad and Minhajul explained that they just wanted to see what Zaker do in the national set-up and nothing beyond. "We pick couple of players to see in every series and it can be by giving them matches or seeing them in the dressing room and we picked Zaker to see how he responds on certain condition," he said.

Bangladesh T20 squad: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Liton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Afif Hossain

Share this news