Leggie Rishad to join Tigers in UAE as net bowler

Young leg-spinner Rishad Hossain will be joining the Bangladesh squad in Dubai ahead of the Asia Cup, scheduled to begin on August 27 in the UAE. 

However, the 20-year-old Rishad, who has been a part of the High Performance (HP) program for a while, will not be a part of the Tigers' Asia Cup squad. The leg-spinner will be used as a net bowler during practice sessions. 

Among five teams -- Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan -- who will directly play in the continental tournament, only Bangladesh do not possess a leggie in their ranks. 
  
"Rishad in going to Dubai but he is not a part of the Asia Cup squad. He is going as a net bowler. There is a dearth of net bowlers in the UAE. We are actually sending Rishad to help our batters prepare better for negotiating Afghanistan and Sri Lanka's leg-spinners," Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selector Habibul Bashar told The Daily Star today. 

Bangladesh begin their Asia Cup campaign against Afghanistan on August 30 in Sharjah and then play hosts Sri Lanka in Dubai on September 1. Both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have world-class leggies in Rashid Khan and Wanindu Hasaranga, respectively, in their squads.