Yeasin Arafat called up to Bangladesh's preliminary squad

The Bangladesh selectors have called up the 19-year-old pace bowler Yeasin Arafat to a 31-man preliminary squad for the senior team's tour of the West Indies next month. Yeasin shot to attention when he took an eight-wicket haul in a domestic one-day game in March, and he followed it up with a strong showing in the first-class competition last month.

Yeasin is a tall fast bowler who has shown the potential to produce pace and bounce even on unhelpful pitches in Bangladesh.

Apart from the players who were part of Bangladesh's international squads in the 2017-18 season, the selectors have also included Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shadman Islam and Abul Hasan.

Veteran left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak also remains in the selectors' plans after his encouraging comeback to the Test team in February.

The players have been asked to report to strength and conditioning coach Mario Villavarayan on May 13, the first day of the camp, with the initial focus being on fitness.

Bangladesh are scheduled to fly out to the West Indies on June 26. Their tour will include two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. There have also been reports of Bangladesh playing a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in late May or the first week of June, in India. If confirmed, this preliminary camp will cover that series as well.

Bangladesh's 31-member preliminary squad: Tamim Iqbal, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Imrul Kayes, Rubel Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Nurul Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mosaddek Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan, Anamul Haque, Sabbir Rahman, Abu Jayed Chowdhury, Mashrafe Mortaza, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mahmudullah, Nazmul Islam, Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Shadman Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Yeasin Arafat, Taskin Ahmed, Abul Hasan, Naeem Hasan, Abdur Razzak, Abu Hider