As the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 approaches, cricket fans in Bangladesh are buzzing with excitement and anticipation. The national selectors have a challenging task ahead as they try to finalize the country’s best squad for the prestigious global tournament. While the final squad announcement is yet to be made, there are several players who are likely to secure their spots based on their recent performances and contributions to the team. With that note, we have analyzed and made a probable squad for Bangladesh for the 2023 ICC World Cup tournament.
Bangladesh’s Probable Squad for the 2023 ICC Men's ODI World Cup
Table: Probable Team of Bangladesh in the ICC World Cup 2023
Name | Age | Role |
Tamim Iqbal | 34 | Batter |
Litton Das | 28 | Batter, Wicket Keeper |
Najmul Hossain Shanto | 24 | Batter |
Mushfiqur Rahim | 36 | Batter, Wicket Keeper |
Towhid Hridoy | 22 | Batter |
Shakib Al Hasan | 36 | Allrounder |
Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 25 | Allrounder |
Mahmudullah | 37 | Allrounder |
Mosaddek Hossain | 27 | Allrounder |
Yasir Ali | 27 | Batter |
Taskin Ahmed | 28 | Bowler |
Shoriful Islam | 22 | Bowler |
Mustafizur Rahman | 27 | Bowler |
Ebadot Hossain | 29 | Bowler |
Hasan Mahmud | 23 | Bowler |
Taijul Islam | 31 | Bowler |
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Tamim Iqbal
Tamim Iqbal’s presence in the world cup is still in doubt. But he might join the squad if situation is favourable.
Tamim Iqbal has been playing cricket for a long time and has been leading the Bangladesh team in ODI matches since 2020. He has done a great job as the captain, and one of the significant achievements during his captaincy was when Bangladesh won a series of ODI matches against South Africa in 2022.
He has been active in international cricket since 2007 and is the highest run-getter in ODIs for Bangladesh. Currently, he has played 241 matches and scored 8313 runs with 56 half-centuries and 14 centuries at a strike rate of 78.54.
Litton Das
Litton Das has an important role in the team to give them a strong and energetic start with his aggressive way of batting. In the last World Cup, he played five matches and did well as a middle-order batsman. He scored 184 runs in those five matches at a strike rate of 110.17, which means he scored runs quickly and helped the team score at a good pace. In this World Cup, Litton might also be appointed as vice captain.
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Overall, Litton played 72 ODIs and collected 2213 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 88.06. Although he does not play as the team’s regular wicketkeeper, he can also be seen behind the wicket with the wicketkeeper’s gloves when required.
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Shanto will be batting at a crucial position, number three, in the team. He has been playing really well this year and has been in great form. Fans can trust and depend on him because he has already scored 429 runs in 12 ODI matches in 2023. He seems to be a promising player for the team with his impressive performances.
Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur Rahim, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has been a key player for Bangladesh for more than fifteen years. He has played a big role in winning many matches for the team throughout his cricket career. In September 2022, he decided to retire from T20 internationals so that he could focus more on playing ODI and Test matches. And we have seen the improvements. This year turned out to be his most successful year in terms of ODI performance, as he scored 446 runs in 12 matches at an impressive average of 55.75. His consistency and skill with the bat have been vital for his team’s success in the ODI format.
Further, he is the second-highest run-scorer for his team in the ODI World Cup. He has scored a total of 877 runs in 29 World Cup matches, with a strike rate of 79.71.
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Towhid Hridoy
Twenty-two year old Towhid Hridoy has been a recent wonder in Bangladesh cricket. Against Ireland this year, he missed out on a century on his ODI debut. Still, the innings of 92 runs against Ireland holds a special value. He played 9 matches so far and scored 338 runs with 3 fifties and an impressive 97.68 strike rate. Hridoy will surely play a key role in Bangladesh’s batting lineup.
Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan will be the most crucial player for Bangladesh in the upcoming World Cup because of his exceptional all-round abilities. The 36-year-old cricketer has recently achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Bangladeshi player to take 300 wickets in ODI. His performance with both bat and ball makes him a key asset for the team and a player to watch out for in the tournament.
Shakib Al Hasan is Bangladesh’s most successful player in the World Cup, excelling both as a batsman and a bowler. In the 29 World Cup matches, Shakib has scored an impressive total of 1146 runs, including two centuries and 10 fifties. Shakib has also been impressive with the ball in the 50-over World Cup. He has taken a total of 34 wickets at an economy rate of 5.11, showcasing his skill and effectiveness as a bowler.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Miraz might be included in the starting XI for bowling support and for slight batting support. However, he doesn’t have an impressive performance. This year he played 10 ODI matches and scored 132 runs only. With the ball, he took 9 wickets with 2/35. Overall, he played 77 ODIs for Bangladesh and scored 888 runs and took 88 wickets.
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Mahmudullah
Bangladesh is struggling at the 7th position in batting; Mahmudullah might be a good option in that position. With a vast experience of playing over 200 ODIs, his presence in the World Cup campaign will hold great significance for the team. He has scored 616 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 81.58 in three World Cups so far.
Mosaddek Hossain
Mosaddek is another option for the 7th batting position. Although he has not played any ODIs in 2023, he played only one innings in 2022 and scored only 14 runs. But he had a great performance in the Dhaka Premier League. In the 2019 ODI Cricket World Cup, Mosaddek could not even score 30 runs in any match. So, he has a fifty-fifty chance this World Cup.
Yasir Ali
Yasir is another contender apart from Mahmudullah and Mosaddek. Debuting in 2022, he scored a total of 102 runs from 9 matches. And this year, he has appeared in 2 matches so far and contributed 24 runs.
Taskin Ahmed
With his vast experience, Taskin will lead the pace attack in the upcoming World Cup 2023. The right-arm bowler has taken 81 wickets in 59 ODIs at an economy rate of 5.43. He has played in the World Cup only once and took nine wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 6.37 in the 2015 World Cup. However, the pacer made a grand comeback after being sidelined in the 2019 edition.
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When Bangladesh beat the hosts 2–1 in the three-match ODI series in South Africa in March 2022, Taskin took eight wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 4.86. This year he took 12 wickets in 4 innings. Taskin is currently ranked 45th in the ICC bowler rankings.
Mustafizur Rahman
In addition to Taskin Ahmed, another important player in Bangladesh’s fast bowling attack is Mustafizur Rahman. He is a left-handed bowler, and his bowling style is really effective against right-handed batsmen. Apart from this, his slower cutter also puts the batters in trouble.
The cutter muster is currently Bangladesh’s fourth highest wicket-taker, with 148 wickets in 89 matches at an economy rate of 5.08. This year he played 7 innings and took 7 wickets.
Shoriful Islam
Although Shoriful debuted in 2021, he became a regular in 2022. So far, he has played 17 matches and taken 26 wickets with 4/21 best bowling figures against Afghanistan. This year he appeared in 3 matches and took 7 wickets at a 5.43 economy rate. So, Shariful’s extreme speed will surely help Bangladesh on the World Cup stage.
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Ebadot Hossain
Ebadot Hossain has played only 12 ODIs for Bangladesh but has earned praise from cricket experts for his pace. Batsmen struggle to bat his bowl as his speed is around 140+ km/h. The 29 year old pacer has taken 22 wickets at an economy rate of 5.60 in 11 ODI innings so far. His best bowling figures of 4/42 came against Ireland in an ODI at Sylhet in March this year.
Hasan Mahmud
Hasan Mahmud can bowl tirelessly in long spells. He bowls at a speed of 135 to 142 kmph, and he is a very effective bowler, especially in the death overs. It was seen in domestic events. He appeared in 7 ODI matches this year and took 12 wickets with 5/32 best bowling at 5.21 economy rate.
Taijul Islam
Taijul can be a great support for Bangladesh’s bowling lineup. So, the coach and team management made him ready for the World Cup, as he played 6 matches this year. He took 10 wickets from these 6 matches, with 3/54 at 5.43 econ. Overall, Taijul played 18 ODI matches for Bangladesh and took 30 wickets.
Final Words
So far, we have discussed a predicted Bangladesh squad for ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. This selection is based on the recent performance of the players as well as comments from the experts and BCB officials. However, before the 2023 World Cup Cricket tournament, all these players are required to put effort into the upcoming Asia Cup.
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