Cricinfo staff17-Aug-2005

Nazmul Hossain will play at Dhaka © Getty Images

Bangladesh's selectors have denied reports that Nazmul Hossain, the 17-year-old pace bowler who took 4 for 40 in Bangladesh's loss to New Zealand on Tuesday, will be left out of Friday's day/night one-day international at Dhaka, the second of the three-match one-day series.

Reports had been circulating that Hossain had been dropped, but a spokesman for the board denied that. "We had the entire day off," he said. "We didn't have a meeting today. So, there is no possibility of even hinting at the playing eleven to anyone." He added that unless he was unfit, Hossain would play.

Khaled Mahmud, the ex-captain who is now a one-day specialist, is likely to be dropped, with either Nafis Iqbal or allrounder Mushfiqur Rahman replacing him.

Rahman has played 25 one-day internationals, averaging 15 with the bat and 48 with the ball. Nafis, an opening batsman with a wide range of strokes, had starred in Bangladesh's Plate final victory in the March's Under-19 World Cup and made his Test debut last month.

Habibul Bashar retains the captaincy for the remaining two matches.