Tri-series:Bangladesh have made five changes to their ODI squad

Bangladesh have made five changes to their ODI squad for the first two matches of the tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, including the addition of Mustafizur Rahman. Taskin Ahmed and Soumya Sarkar have been dropped from the ODI squad that played in South Africa.

The other players dropped are Liton Das, Mominul Haque and Shafiul Islam, while those added into the squad – together with Mustafizur – are Anamul Haque, Mohammad Mithun, Abul Hasan and Sunzamul Islam. Soumya and Taskin have been dropped for the first time from an ODI series (due to performance) while Liton lost his place soon after regaining it in South Africa.

Soumya made just two fifties in his last 15 ODIs since September 2016, and averaged 24.30 in 11 innings in 2017. Taskin, meanwhile, had started 2017 well but took just two wickets in 61 overs in South Africa.

Anamul and Mithun have been preferred ahead of Liton and Soumya mainly due to their domestic runs in the last few seasons. Since his last international match in November 2015, Anamul has made the most runs in all domestic formats. His recent double-century in the National Cricket League first-class competition put him ahead of other heavy scorers.

Mithun, since his last ODI in June 2014, has also been one of the top ten run-scorers across formats in domestic cricket. His role in Rangpur Riders winning the BPL worked in his favour. Anamul and Mithun are among the three wicketkeepers in the squad though Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector, said that Mushfiqur Rahim remains Bangladesh’s first-choice wicketkeeper.

Hasan, meanwhile, was a surprise pick if one considers how some of the other fast bowlers like Abu Jayed and Abu Hider have done in the last few seasons. But like Mithun, Hasan’s BPL performance boosted his chances.

Squad for first two ODIs: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mohammad Mithun, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Abul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Saifuddin, Sunzamul Islam.