Mohor Sheikh named in BCB XI for warm-up match against Zimbabweans

Fresh face Mohor Sheikh, who is just one first-class match old, was picked in the BCB XI that takes on the visiting Zimbabweans in a warm-up one-day match in BKSP on Friday. The 21-year old fast bowler from Rajshahi is so much of an unknown that the BCB initially announced his name as "Morshedul Akhter" in the press release, but chief selector Minhajul Abedin later confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that it was a mistake.

Sheikh made his first-class debut for Rajshahi this season, taking three wickets against Rangpur. According to a teammate, Sheikh showed good pace, hitting around "130kph". However, he wasn't picked for the second and third matches. Sheikh, who played for Uttara Sporting Club in the Dhaka First Division Cricket League last season, is learning his trade at the Bangla Trac Academy under coach Khaled Mahmud, the former Bangladesh captain and BCB director.

The BCB XI squad also contains three other young fast bowlers - Yeasin Arafat, Ebadot Hossain and Saifuddin - and just the one specialist spinner in Nayeem Hasan. It marked a continuation of the BCB not offering visiting sides specialist left-arm spinners in tour games.

The Bangladesh team management will also get a final look at Test hopeful Mizanur Rahman and uncapped Fazle Mahmud, who was picked for the ODI series against Zimbabwe.

Mahmud is set for his ODI debut in the first game against Zimbabwe on October 21, while Mizanur, who has already made two first-class centuries in the first two matches this season, will also treat this like an audition, as he is being discussed among the national selectors and team management as a possible replacement for Tamim for the two Tests against Zimbabwe.

The match is also a chance for Ariful Haque and Mohammad Saifuddin, both in the ODI squad, to show their utility, although selector Habibul Bashar has recently said that they are more focused on a pace-bowling allrounder, which makes Saifuddin a more likely consideration.