Taskin Ahmed, despite his rib injury, was included in the Bangladesh national聽team鈥檚聽squad for the forthcoming 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA, while Mohammad Saifuddin聽was excluded聽as the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced the travelling envoy on Tuesday.
Along with the 15 members, BCB included Hasan Mahmud and Afif Hossain as the travelling reserves.
Taskin鈥檚聽place in the World Cup-bound team was hanging in the balance due to a fracture he sustained in聽one of聽his ribs while diving to save a boundary during the fourth T2oI against Zimbabwe, which ruled him out of the last game.
However,聽he was still picked聽in the squad and聽was also聽named vice-captain for the approaching marquee competition starting on June 1.
Bangladesh national team chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu revealed that Taskin聽will聽be fit at some point in the World Cup but聽won鈥檛聽feature in the three-match T20I series against USA, which Bangladesh will play as part of their build-up to the global event scheduled for May 21, 23, and 25.聽
Gazi Ashraf also said that if Taskin did not recover in time for the World Cup, they would replace him with Hasan.
鈥業f he [Taskin]聽can鈥檛聽play, BCB will take care of it and will take the necessary steps. Right now, I am unable to answer it clearly. If he聽can鈥檛聽play, he will聽be replaced聽by someone else. I hope something like this聽doesn鈥檛聽take place,鈥櫬爃e told the media on Tuesday.
Bangladesh also picked young right-arm pacer Tanzim Hasan over Saifuddin, with Gazi Ashraf saying that the decision聽was taken聽after assessing the聽duo鈥簊聽performances in the Zimbabwe series.
Saifuddin had taken 15 wickets in the 2024 Bangladesh Premier League and eight against Zimbabwe, while Sakib had 11 in the BPL and just one in the Zimbabwe series.聽
However, Gazi Ashraf clarified Saifuddin聽was picked聽in the initial squad for the World Cup made on April 30聽but missed聽out to Sakib as he could not bring his death bowling performances in the domestic circuit to the international arena.
鈥榃e looked at Sakib in the Sri Lanka series. His determination on the field put him slightly ahead. We were looking at Saifuddin for yorkers in the death overs,鈥櫬爃e said.
鈥楬owever, that seemed different in international matches compared to the domestic tournament. So, we thought a bit differently.聽This聽is the only change from the squad made on April 30. It was a close call between the two.鈥�
The chief selector hoped to get off to a good start in the tournament with a win against Sri Lanka in their opening game on June 8.
鈥業n the first match, both teams will believe they will win.聽This聽will be a very pressure game. If we can win that, I see聽a聽very聽clear聽chance of winning two out of the next three games,鈥櫬爃e said.