Akram Khan Dropped From Bangladesh Team (23 Sep 1998)

23 September 1998

Akram Dropped From Bangladesh Team

Reported for CricInfo365 By Zahid Newaz in Dhaka

It was not astonishing that Akram Khan would no longer be captain of Bangladesh national cricket team. Specially after disastorus performance in Commonwealth Games both by himself ands is teammates. But dropping from the team? Obviously, none thought of. And it's happened.

In a dramatic development, Aminul Islam Bulbul was Tuesday named new captain of the Bangladesh cricket team dethroning long-serving national skipper Akram Khan. Akram even didn't find a place in the squad announced for ACC Trophy.

Coming out of the Bangladesh Cricket Board executive committee meeting, BCB President Saber Hossain Chowdhury, who is also Deputy Minister for Shipping of the government, announced a 14-member national team with Bulbul as captain for the ensuing ACC Trophy to be held in Nepal from October 3 to 13.

Akram Khan, who was made the national skipper in 1994 after the ICC Trophy in Kenya replacing Faruque Ahmed, not only lost his captaincy but was also dropped from the team after serving the national side for nearly 11 years.

He also led the Bangladesh dream team which clinched the 22-nation ICC Trophy in 1997 in Kuala Lumpur confirming a berth for the 1999 World Cup in England.

Apart from Akram Khan, three players of the Commonwealth Games team -- Azam Iqbal, Naimur Rahman Durjoy and Sabbir Khan -- were also dropped from the side.

However, all hope for Akram Khan are yet to be ended as the BCB kept him as a player of national pool.

National alrounder Khaled Mahmud Sujon was made vice captain of the national team for the ACC Trophy.

BCB Director of Coaching Gordon Greenidge, the legendary West Indian opener, returned as coach of the Nepal-bound team while BCB chief selector Enayet Hossain Siraj will accompany as team manager.

Four cricketers -- Javed Omar Belim Gulla, Sajjad Ahmed Shipon, Hasanuzzaman and Al Shahriar Rokon -- staged a comeback to the national squad.

Newly selected team: Aminul Islam Bulbul (captain), Khaled Mahmud Sujon (vice-captain), Shahriar Hossain Bidyut, Javed Omar Belim Gulla, Sajjad Ahmed Shipon, Faruque Ahmed, Khaled Mashud Pilot, Hasanuzzaman, Hasibul Hossain Shanta, Al Shahriar Rokon, Morshed Ali Khan Sumon, Shafiuddin Ahmed Babu, Mohammad Rafique and Mushfiqur Rahman Babu.

Stand-by: Enamul Haq Moni, Zakir Hossain and Mohammad Mortuza.

Manager: Enayet Hossain Siraj, Coach: Gordon Greenidge, Asst Coach: Mohammad Imran Sarwar and Physio: Dr Mahfuzur Rahman.

Bangladesh have been placed in Group A of the ACC trophy with Papua New Guinea, Maldives, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.

In the tourney opener, defending champions Bangladesh will take on Papua New Guinea on October 3. They will meet Malaysia Oct 4, Maldives Oct 6, Brunei Oct 7 and Singapore Oct 9.

The ACC trophy is the qualifying tournament for the Asia Cup Cricket involving three test playing countries Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. The Asia Cup will be held in Dhaka next March.

Meanwhile, the BCB in its meeting Tuesday announced a 34-member national cricketers' pool for the domestic cricket. Maximum five players of the national pool will be entitled to play for a team in the local cricket.

The BCB also decided that maximum four foreign cricketers will be allowed to be enlisted by a team and only two of them fielded in a premier division match.

In the first division league, three foreign players will be allowed to register for a club and only one cricketer to play in a match.

The national pool cricketers are : Azam Iqbal, Shahriar Hossain Bidyut, Faruque Ahmed, Akram Khan, Aminul Islam Bulbul, Khaled Mahmud Sujon, Naimur Rahman Durjoy, Hasibul Hossain Shanta, Morshed Ali Khan Sumon, Shafiuddin Ahmed Babu, Mohammad Rafique, Sabbir Khan, Mushfiqur Rahman Babu, Zakir Hossain, Minhazul Abedin Nannu, Athar Ali Khan, Tanveer Khan, Enamul Haq Moni, Sanwar Hossain, Anisur Rahman, Mehrab Hossain Opee, Javed Omar Belim Gulla, Hassanuzzaman, Habibul Bashar Sumon, Zakir Hasan, Jewel Hossain Mona, Mofizur Rahman Munna, Manzurul Haq Manju, Al Shahriar Rokon, Sheikh Salahuddin, Saiful Islam, Sajjad Ahmed Shipon, Saifullah Jem and Shariful Haq Plabon.

Plabon and Jem were, however, released from the national pool as they announced their retirement from national cricket.

Three national cricketers -- Khaled Mashud Pilot, Atiar Rahman and Jahangir Alam -- have been kept out of the pool as specialised wicket-keepers.