Sabbir returns after over 2 years as BCB announces Asia Cup squad

Following a meeting on Saturday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, slated to begin on August 27 in the UAE. The side will be led by Shakib Al Hasan, who was also named the T20I skipper till next T2o World Cup, scheduled to begin on October 16 in Australia. 

Sabbir Rahman, who last featured for the Tigers in September 2019 in a T20I game against Afghanistan in Chattogram, has been included in the squad for the Asia Cup, which will be played in the T20 format. With a number of injury concerns in the side, both Sabbir and Soumya Sarkar, both of whom are now part of Bangladesh 'A' side on their ongoing tour of the West Indies, were in contention for the Asia Cup squad.

Meanwhile, injured wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan, who led Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe earlier this month, is also in consideration to make the squad, subject to him recovering from his finger injury. 

Opener Munim Shahriar was left out of the squad following his poor performance in the Tigers' latest tour of Zimbabwe. The two specialist openers in the squad are Anamul Haque Bijoy and Parvez Hossain Emon, who made his T20I debut this month against Zimbabwe. 

Mahmudullah Riyad, who was stripped of captaincy from the format, has been included while another experienced campaigner in Mushfiqur Rahim also returned to the squad after sitting out the Tigers' previous two tours -- to West Indies and Zimbabwe. 

Bangladesh Squad for Asia Cup 2022: 

Shakib Al Hasan (C), Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nurul Hasan Sohan (subject to recovery from injury), Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud.