Out of favour batsman Mominul Haque will lead Bangladesh in the forthcoming Emerging Nations Asia Cup as Bangladesh Cricket Board announced a 15-member squad on Tuesday.
Unheralded opener Azmir Ahmed is the only surprise of the squad for the regional based 50-over tournament scheduled to be held in Chittagong from March 27 to April 3.
The Asian Cricket Council organised the tournament where the four Test playing nations — India Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will field their Under-23 squads with the provision of only four national players to play.
The other four teams — Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong and UAE will be allowed to play with their full strength squad against their Test playing neighbours.
Experienced all-rounder Nasir Hossain will act as the deputy of Mominul while selectors opted for Test cricketer Mehedi Hasan to provide him with an opportunity in the shorter version.
‘It’s a big opportunity for our youngsters to showcase their potential as the top four team’s [India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh] are well balanced,’ said chief selector Minhajul Abedin on Tuesday.
‘We picked young Azmir as he showed his potential in the practice match with a big hundred.’
Azmir grabbed the spotlight by hitting a double century for Agrani Bank in the just concluded Dhaka First Division Cricket League, a 50-over tournament played by local clubs to try and advance in the traditional Dhaka Premier League.
Hosts reached Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday to get acclimatise with the conditions as their group stage matches are scheduled to be played there.
The tournament will be played at the Sheikh Kamal International Stadium in Cox’s Bazar, MA Aziz Stadium and Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
‘Captaincy is not entirely new for me as I had the experience in the past at age-level as well as in the domestic circuit,’ said Mominul, who will lead the team in front of his home crowd.
‘Naturally there will be pressure of expectations but we must keep our nerves and play as a unit,’
‘I am not thinking too far ahead and just want to concentrate on one match at a time. Let us see how it goes.’
Squad
Mominul Haque (captain), Nasir Hossain (vice-captain), Saif Hassan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mithun Ali, Yasir Ali, Mehedi Hasan Miraz , Saifuddin, Abul Hasan Raju, Abu Hider Rony, Azmir Ahmed, Rahatul Ferdous, Afif Hossain, Salman Hossain and Nasum Ahmed.
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