Bangladesh leave out Taijul Islam for New Zealand tour

Bangladesh have left out left-arm spinner Taijul Islam from their combined 20-man contingent for three ODIs and as many T20Is on their tour of New Zealand. Meanwhile, allrounder Mosaddek Hossain made a comeback after impressive performances in the 2020 Bangabandhu T20 Cup.

Taijul was part of the Bangladesh ODI squad that beat West Indies 3-0 recently but didn't get a game. Seen more as a red-ball specialist, Islam has played just nine ODIs and two T20Is since making his ODI debut in 2014.

Apart from Taijul, the only other absentee from that squad was Shakib Al Hasan, who was granted paternity leave by the BCB. The break will also give him a chance to recover from the thigh injury he suffered during the first Test against West Indies in Chattogram.

Mosaddek's previous appearance for Bangladesh was the second T20I against India in Rajkot in 2019. It was his all-round show in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup that helped him return to the side. In 11 games in the tournament, he picked up ten wickets with his offspin, apart from scoring 148 runs at 21.14.

From their last T20I squad, against Zimbabwe in March last year, Bangladesh left out Aminul Islam. However, the selectors retained uncapped left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. The 26-year-old has picked up 45 wickets from 37 List A games at an average of 29.06. In 27 T20s, he has 12 scalps while going for just under seven an over.

Just like the ODI series against West Indies, the 50-over leg in New Zealand will be part of the World Cup Super League. So far, Bangladesh have won their all three games of the league, bagging full 30 points. The T20Is, meanwhile, will serve as a preparatory step for the T20 World Cup, to be held in India later this year.

On Thursday, some of the New Zealand-bound squad members, including Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Naim and Taskin Ahmed, and support staffers were administered Covid-19 vaccines in Dhaka. The remaining members are expected to be inoculated by Sunday.

The team will depart for New Zealand on February 23 and will kick off the tour on March 20 with the first ODI in Dunedin.

Squad: Tamim Iqbal, Mosaddek Hossain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Naim Sheikh, Taskin Ahmed, Al Amin Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed