Mosaddek called up to Bangladesh ODI squad

Mosaddek Hossain, the uncapped top-order batsman, was on Thursday (September 22) named in Bangladesh’s 13-man squad for the first two One-Day Internationals against Afghanistan.

Shafiul Islam, the 26-year-old seamer whose last ODI was in November 2014, has earned a recall, but Al Amin Hossain missed out as did Mustafizur Rahman, the left-arm paceman who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

Mosaddek, who made his Twenty20 International debut against Zimbabwe in January this year, has been pushing for a spot with strong domestic performances. He played a crucial role in Abahani Limited’s road to the Dhaka Premier League title, scoring 622 runs at an average of 77.75 and also picking up 15 wickets with his offspin.

“We thought Shafiul would be a better option as he bowled fantastically well in recent training sessions,” Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector, told a press conference in Dhaka. “Our management also preferred Shafiul ahead of Al-Amin.”

Rubel Hossain, the right-arm pacer, was recalled after an injury-plagued season which forced him to miss the Zimbabwe ODIs in November last year. Taijul Islam, the left-arm spinner, also returned to the team, having last played an ODI against New Zealand in the World Cup last year.

Taskin Ahmed was not eligible for selection as the report of his bowling action test in Brisbane is still not out. Taskin and Arafat Sunny, who were reported during the World Twenty20 in March this year and subsequently banned from bowling, had their bowling actions reassessed in Brisbane earlier this month.

All three ODIs will be at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, with the first match starting on September 25.

Bangladesh squad for first two ODIs: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mosaddek Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan (vice-capt.), Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Sabbir Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza (capt.), Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain.