Taskin named Shanto’s deputy

Bangladesh announced a 15-man squad for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup yesterday with Taskin Ahmed's appointment as vice-captain and all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin's omission being the biggest highlights.

The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led 15 with two travelling reserves are scheduled to board a flight in the early hours of Thursday for the USA, where they will first take on the hosts in a three-match T20I series starting on May 21, before beginning their T20 World Cup campaign.

The national team selectors were originally scheduled to announce the squad on Monday but pushed it back by a day as they were waiting on Taskin's scans.

The pacer had suffered a side strain in the fourth T20I of the five-match series against Zimbabwe, which put his position in the World Cup-bound squad under threat.

Even though Taskin is still nursing his injury and at risk of not being match ready before the Tigers start their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on June 8 in in Dallas, the selectors have preferred to keep the in-form pacer in the squad.

"As per the information available to us, he [Taskin] will regain fitness at some point during the World Cup. That's why we have included him in the team," chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu told the media.

When asked about Taskin becoming the new vice-captain, Lipu said that it was the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) decision to appoint him.

"He was a promising cricketer of his generation. He has been leading the team in one department and has been playing for the national team in different formats for a long time. Perhaps that's why the BCB considered him a deserving candidate."

The press conference got delayed by a little over half-an-hour yesterday, as the selectors were busy in last minute discussions about the side.

The apparent outcome of that discussion was Saifuddin losing his place in the side to Tanzim Sakib.

"He [Saifuddin] was on our minds. We had formed a team in light of the BPL and we didn't make too many changes to it. Saifuddin is the only player from that squad who didn't make it in the final cut. In his place, Tanzim Sakib comes in," said the former Bangladesh captain.

The squad announcement also confirmed that Shakib Al Hasan will become the second player after India's Rohit Sharma to take part in all nine editions of the T20 World Cup.

The ace all-rounder is a crucial part of Bangladesh's plans in the tournament and unlike some previous editions where he led the side, the 37-year-old will play without any burden of leadership in what could be his swansong in the tournament.

This will also be the first time Bangladesh will be going in with a front-line leg-spinner in a World Cup as Rishad Hossain has been named in the 15.

Tigers have earlier had the part-time leg-spin of Sabbir Rahman at their disposal in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups and the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups. Before Sabbir, they had the services of another part-time wrist spinner in Alok Kapali at the 2003 ODI World Cup and the 2007 T20 World Cup.

Six players – Tanzid Tamim, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Tanvir Islam, Rishad and Tanzim– are set to take part in their maiden T20 World Cup. Out of them, Tanzid, Hridoy and Tanzim took part in last year's ODI World Cup.

The selectors have picked only two traveling reserves in pacer Hasan Mahmud and batter Afif Hossain.

Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed (vc), Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Tanvir Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Sakib.