Asia Cup 2023: Analysis of Bangladesh ODI Squad

August 13, 2023, 02:05 PM
by Nafiz Tahmid

UNB News
Publish- August 13, 2023, 02:05 PM
Nafiz Tahmid
Update- August 13, 2023, 02:38 PM

Asia Cup 2023: Analysis of Bangladesh ODI Squad

Bangladesh squad in the Asia Cup 2023

Asia Cup 2023 will start on August 30. Pakistan announced their Asia Cup squad as the first team among the six. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the Bangladesh ODI squad yesterday (August 12, 2023). Now that Shakib Al Hasan has been selected as captain, BCB announced a 17 member Asia Cup squad this year.

Bangladesh ODI Squad for Asia Cup 2023

Squad:

Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Das, Tanjid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Mohammad Naim

Standby:

Taijul Islam, Saif Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

Analysis of Bangladesh ODI Squad in the Asia Cup 2023

Tanjid Hasan Tamim, who performed well in the Emerging Asia Cup, got a chance as a new face in the team. Tanjid, who has been featured in important tournaments like the Asia Cup, has not played a single international match so far. Tamim Iqbal was left out of the squad because of injury. Tanjid got a place in the ODI team for the first time, mainly due to Tamim’s absence. This youngster caught the attention of the selectors in recent times, especially in the performance of the Emerging Asia Cup. He scored three fifties in four matches.

Mahedi Hasan returned to the national team after a long time due to his outstanding performance in the Emerging Asia Cup. Mahedi last played for the Bangladesh national team in the Asia Cup T20 last year and he appeared in the New Zealand series in March 2021.

Mohammad Naim Sheikh also got a place in the squad as a result of his consistency in the DPL and Emerging Asia Cup. However, Soumya Sarkar did not get a place in the same tournament despite showing an all-round performance.

Ebadot Hossain also returned to the squad. He was ruled out of the second ODI against Afghanistan due to an injury in the last match. Among the players from the Afghanistan series, opener Rony Talukdar has been left out of the Asia Cup 2023 squad. He was called up to the squad after Tamim withdrew his name at the end of the first ODI against Afghanistan.

The inclusion of Afif Hossain was in doubt, but the selectors seemed to have faith in this young star. Taijul Islam has been knocked out in the competition of left-arm spinners, and Nasum Ahmed has confirmed his place in the team, after playing the last ODI in the last match of Ireland series. However, Taijul is kept on standby and will be added if needed.

However, Mahmudullah could not do much to return to the national team. Although he played in the Dhaka Premier League, and was ahead in terms of experience, in the end, BCB chose the youth.

Shakib Al Hasan will lead the Bangladesh team in the Asia Cup as per the pre-arranged decision. Among the senior players, his partner is only Mushfiqur Rahim. Besides, there are experienced players like Taskin, Shanto, Litton, and Mostafiz.

Shortly after the announcement of the full squad, the BCB announced in a press release that three more players have been included in the list of Bangladesh’s additional cricketers. They include top-order batsman Saif Hasan, pacer Tanzim Hasan Shakib, and experienced left-arm spinner Taijul Islam.

Key Players for Bangladesh in Asia Cup 2023

Litton Das

Litton Das has been very busy recently. He was called up to the Sri Lankan Premier League finishing the Global T20 League in Canada last week. It seems he is getting ready for the Asia Cup.

This year Litton has played 12 ODIs and scored 301 runs, with 70 highest scores. Litton Das first appeared in the Asia Cup in 2018. In the final match of the 2018 Asia Cup against India, Litton achieved his first One Day International (ODI) century. He is now more experienced and mature. So, it is expected that he will give his best this time.

Shakib Al Hasan

Due to his remarkable all-rounder skills, Shakib Al Hasan is set to play a crucial role for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2023. The 36-year-old cricketer’s exceptional abilities have positioned him as a vital asset.

He has recently reached a noteworthy milestone by becoming the inaugural Bangladeshi player to secure 300 wickets in ODIs. His proficiency in both batting and bowling makes him a valuable player for the team and someone to keep a close eye on during the Asia Cup tournament.

However, Shakib’s last appearance in the ODI version of the Asia Cup in 2018 was not satisfactory. But, he was not totally fit at that time and missed out on a super four and final match that year. Having recorded scores of 0, 17, 32, and 0 in the initial four matches of the tournament, it was evident that he faced challenges. But, this year, he has been in excellent form with 376 runs and 11 wickets from 11 matches.

Taskin Ahmed

Based on his extensive experience, Taskin will surely try to keep the pressure on the opponent with a pace attack in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. The right-arm bowler boasts an impressive track record, having secured 81 wickets in 59 ODIs with an economy rate of 5.43.

Notably, he has participated in the World Cup on a single occasion, amassing nine wickets in six matches during the 2015 World Cup, which transpired eight years ago, while maintaining an economy rate of 6.37. This will be Taskin’s first appearance in the Asia Cup ODI version. His 12 wickets from 7 ODI matches in 2023 will surely inspire him to boost his performance in the tournament.

Final Words

The mission to achieve the crown among the six cricket teams in Asia will begin on August 30 and continue till September 17. The six teams are divided into two groups, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in the Group B. Nepal, who played qualifiers, will play in Group’ A’ with India and Pakistan.

Bangladesh will begin their Asia Cup 2023 journey on the second day of the tournament. After playing the first match there, Bangladesh will have to fly to Pakistan for the second match. Bangladesh will face Afghanistan on September 3 in Lahore, Pakistan.