Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the inclusion of pacer Ebadot Hossain and batter Afif Hossain in the 15-member squad for the upcoming two-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The matches are scheduled to take place on July 14 and 16 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, following the ODIs that are set to be held in Chattogram from July 5.
BCB chief selector Minhajul Abedin stated that the selection panel decided to recall Ebadot Hossain to strengthen the pace bowling department and allow rotation among the fast bowlers. The team management believes that including Ebadot in the squad will help him remain in the process and contribute to the team’s success. Additionally, apart from his raw pace, Ebadot has the potential to be effective in shorter formats of the game.
Afif Hossain, who has been performing well in domestic cricket, has earned his place in the T20I squad. The selection panel acknowledges Afif’s consistent run-scoring ability and sees him as a valuable addition to the team. It is worth noting that Afif was also selected in the ODI squad earlier.
Zaker Ali, who was part of the previous T20I squad, has not been retained for the upcoming series. Minhajul clarified that Zaker’s inclusion in the previous squad was primarily to assess his performance and potential at the national level. The selection panel wanted to observe his response to specific conditions and evaluate his readiness for international cricket.
The Squad:
The 15-member squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan includes Shakib Al Hasan as the captain, along with players such as Litton Kumer Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, and Afif Hossain.
