Star allrounder Shakib Al Hasan and wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das were left behind as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced their squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy taking place next month in the UAE and Pakistan.
This could mark the end of Shakib’s international career. The allrounder recently faced a big setback too, when the ECB reported his bowling action as illegal. A subsequent bowling test confirmed issues with his action, making him ineligible to bowl.
If the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wanted to include him in the team, they would have to take him solely as a batter. However, in recent times, Shakib hasn't delivered anything significant with the bat to justify playing him as just a batter.
Along with Shakib and Litton, Bangladesh will also miss Tamim Iqbal's service. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had expressed his desire to have both Shakib and Tamim in the fold, but due to different circumstances, both are missing out.
Tamim recently confirmed his retirement from international cricket and said he is no longer coming back to the Bangladesh team.
Bangladesh added Parvez Hossain Emon and Nasum Ahmed to the squad. Parvez, a left-handed top-order batter, has impressed in limited-over cricket over the past few years, while Nasum came to the fore as a left-arm spinner aiming to fill up the void left behind by Shakib’s absence.
Bangladesh overlooked Hasan Mahmud. The right-arm pacer has been impressive in the ODIs, taking 31 wickets in 23 matches. But the selectors chose Nahid Rana over him.
Left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam was also overlooked due to his lean patch recently. Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the chief national selector, said they will have to wait more for Shoriful’s best rhythm.
“He suffered a blow in Canada and has since managed to come back. But we have to wait more to get his best,” Gazi Ashraf said.
In the absence of Litton, Parvez may open the innings for Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy. He played 7 T20Is but is yet to make his debut in ODIs. Gazi Ashraf said they considered Parvez for his ability to score quickly in the powerplay.
Overall, Bangladesh opted for a balanced team mix of experienced and young players.
In their first match, Bangladesh will face India on February 20th in Dubai. In the second match, Bangladesh will face New Zealand in Rawalpindi on February 24, and in the third and final match in the group stage, Bangladesh will lock horns with Pakistan in Rawalpindi on February 27th.
Bangladesh squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:
Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mushfiqur Rahim, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Somuya Sarkar, Parvez Hossain Emon, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.