Bangladesh have named all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin and batter Mahidul Islam Ankon in a 15-man squad for the first two T20 Internationals against Ireland in Chattogram, on 27 and 29 November. Taskin Ahmed misses out because he is currently fulfilling a short-term deal in the Abu Dhabi T10, while middle-order hitter Shamim Hossain has been left out.
Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain explained the call: “Taskin has an NOC, so he is not available to us currently. We know that he will play for Bangladesh whenever we ask him to, but we are well aware of the plans. We haven’t considered Shamim Hossain for the first two T20Is. We have picked Mahidul Islam so that we can try someone in the top four.”
It means Saifuddin, who last featured during the 3-0 win over Afghanistan in Sharjah, returns to bolster both seam bowling and lower-order hitting. Ankon, still uncapped in T20Is, has one Test and three ODIs on his record and is viewed as a flexible option near the top.
Taskin’s absence does thin the new-ball resources, yet selectors are banking on Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Shoriful Islam to share the early overs, with off-spinner Mahedi Hasan providing power-play variation if required.
Bangladesh intend to reassess the squad after the second match, leaving room for changes ahead of the series finale on 2 December. All three fixtures are at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, a ground that has tended to favour spin in the middle overs but still offers something with the new ball under lights.
Squad: Litton Das (capt), Saif Hassan (vice-capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin.
There’s plenty to play for: a settled XI before next year’s T20 World Cup remains the wider goal, and these three matches offer another small but useful piece of that puzzle.
