Bangladesh Announce Squad for ICC World Cup 2023:
The cricketing world is abuzz with anticipation as we draw closer to the most awaited ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. While many teams have already unveiled their teams for the mega ICC event in India, the Bangladesh Cricket Board(BCB) also joined in and added to the excitement by announcing their formidable 15-member squad for the marquee World Cup.
The squad includes four players from the Under-19 World Cup winning side from 2020: Hridoy, Shoriful, Tanzid, and Tanzim. The stage is set, and the anticipation is palpable as the Asian Tigers prepare to embark on this historic journey. Newly-named skipper Shakib Al Hasan will continue to lead the side, while Najmul Hossain Shanto was elevated to vice-captaincy but the big news remains the exclusion of Tamim Iqbal, who had reversed his ODI retirement earlier in the year. Tamim had announced his decision to step down as the Bangladesh ODI team captain after a back injury had ruled him out of the Asia Cup 2023. However, he regained fitness ahead of the World Cup but is no longer a part of the squad for the tournament. Furthermore, pacer Ebadot Hossain has failed to recover in time for the World Cup. He had sustained a knee injury during the ODI series against Afghanistan in July and underwent knee surgery on 30 August.
Tamim Iqbal Dropped
Notably, veteran opening batter Tamim Iqbal has been omitted from the squad, citing concerns over his back injury. Tamim, one of Bangladesh’s most prolific batters, has been a key figure in the national team for years. However, his recent struggles with a persistent back injury have raised concerns. According to a report, Tamim had preemptively informed the selectors a couple of days ago about his ongoing back issues, urging them to consider his fitness before finalizing the World Cup squad.
In the second ODI against New Zealand on September 23, Tamim made a return to international cricket, scoring 44 runs. This marked his comeback after reversing his decision to retire from international cricket in July. Despite his efforts, Tamim revealed that he still experienced discomfort in his back during the match.
The team’s physiotherapists had been working diligently to help him overcome the issue. As a result of his persistent discomfort and in the interest of his long-term health, the medical team decided to rest Tamim, along with several other players, for the third ODI against the Black Caps, which Bangladesh lost by 7 wickets.
Leadership and Squad Composition
Shakib Al Hasan, the experienced all-rounder, will continue to lead the Bangladesh ODI squad. Despite Tamim’s absence, Bangladesh’s batting features the experience of Mushfiqur Rahim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Das, and Mahmudullah Riyad. Spin continues to remain the team’s strong point, featuring an exceptional set of finger spinners in Shakib, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, and Mahedi Hasan.
A number of these spinners are also capable all-rounders, including Shakib and Mehidy, while Nasum also showcased his talent with the bat in the recent Asia Cup. And despite the loss of Ebadot, the pace bowling has enough skill to cause troubles in the opposition ranks. Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman led the way with Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, and Tanzim Hasan for support.
Bangladesh squad for ODI World Cup 2023: Shakib Al Hasan(c), Liton Das(wk), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim(wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad.
Conclusion
ICC World Cup 2023 begins on October 5 in India. A total of 10 teams will clash with each other to clinch the trophy. 48 matches will take place during the tournament. The ICC World Cup 2023 final is scheduled to be played on November 19. The team will play two World Cup warm-up fixtures at Guwahati against Sri Lanka and England on September 29 and October 2, respectively. They opened their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan at Dharamsala on 7 October.
