DHAKA, -Fast bowler Rubel Hossain, who was kept as stand by player, was added to Bangladesh squad for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup at Oman and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The BCB National Selection Panel yesterday confirmed that he was added to the squad as additional member. Bangladesh traveled to Oman for the World Cup with leg-spinner Aminul Islam Biplob also alongside Rubel Hossain. They were supposed to return to the country following the completion of the practice matches. However, now, as it stands, only Biplob will be returning to the country.
“There is no necessity for Biplob to stay with team at this moment and therefore we are bringing him back to the country,” national selector Habibul Bashar Sumon said without elaborating. When asked BCB director Khaled Mahmud Sujon said the team management may keep Rubel as reserve player for his vast experience.
“It’s the matter of selection so I can’t exactly tell as to why Rubel is only kept as reserve player and why not Biplob also! I think, Rubel has the vast experience and the team management feels he should be stayed with the team,” Mahmud said here today. Mahmud however expected that Bangladesh have the ability to move to the semifinal of the T20 World Cup.
“One might say how can Bangladesh move to the semifinal, overcoming the hurdles of the team like India, Pakistan, New Zealand but I think the format is such that anyone can win on their given day,” he said, adding that the experience and flair of the players like Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das and others will be handy in the World Cup.
Mahmud also thinks the team that will play the first match of the Bangladesh in the World Cup should be fielded in the two official warm up games. “It is important to cope with the condition. So it will be best if the team that would play the first game, is fielded in the two official warm up matches,” he opined. Bangladesh meanwhile headed to Abu Dhabi, UAE today to play two warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and Ireland.
They will return to Oman on 15 October for Round 1 of the World Cup. Squad: Mahmudullah Riyad (Captain), Naim Sheikh, Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Saifuddin, Shamim Patwari, Rubel Hossain.
