Shanto to lead Bangladesh A against Ireland A

Nazmul Hossain Shanto will lead Bangladesh A in their only four-day match against Ireland A, which starts from October 11 in Sylhet. This is the side's first assignment in two years, having last played in South Africa and Zimbabwe in September and October 2015.

Shanto is one of the six cricketers in the squad with international experience, with the others being Nurul Hasan, Sunzamul Islam, Abu Hider, Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Jubair Hossain. Shanto has been impressive at every level in the last 12 months, having performed consistently with the bat for the BCB's high-performance side in Australia and England.

Nurul, meanwhile, is seen as Mushfiqur Rahim's understudy in the senior side while Sunzamul was in Bangladesh's Champions Trophy squad. Seamer Rabbi has played five Tests for Bangladesh while legspinner Jubair last played international cricket in 2015.

Batsman Saif Hassan and offspinning allrounder Nayeem Hasan, who are part of Bangladesh's Under-19 teams, also found places in the 13-member squad.

The selectors also included Shadman Islam, Al-Amin, Zakir Hasan and Ebadot Hossain but there was no place for consistent domestic performers like Shahriar Nafees, Anamul Haque, Tushar Imran, Junaid Siddique, Abdur Razzak, Abu Jayed or Monir Hossain Khan.

Ireland A will arrive on October 7 and after the four-day match ends in Sylhet on October 14, they will play five one-dayers in Cox's Bazar from October 17 to 26.

Simon Helmot, the high-performance team's head coach, has now been appointed head coach of the A team. Champaka Ramanayake - who had joined BCB earlier this year as a bowling coach - will be Helmot's assistant during this series.