The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday announced a revamped pace bowling attack for the first two T20Is against New Zealand, resting key fast bowlers and handing a maiden call-up to all-rounder Abdul Gaffar Saqlain.
Fast bowlers Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and Nahid Rana have been rested for the upcoming fixtures.
To fill the void, selectors included 28-year-old Saqlain, recognised for his format-suited bowling and lower-order hitting capabilities. The board also recalled 23-year-old right-arm quick Ripon Mondol, rewarding him for his consistency as a death-overs bowler.
Mondol previously represented Bangladesh in three T20 matches during the 2023 Asian Games.Litton Das will captain the 15-member squad, with Saif Hassan serving as vice-captain.
The three-match series begins on April 27 at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram, which will also host the second match on April 29. The series concludes at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on May 2.
Bangladesh squad: Litton Das (captain), Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan (vice-captain), Shamim Hossain, Tawhid Hridoy, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Ripon Mondol, Shaif Uddin, and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain.