Selectors' hopes on Saifuddin
The national selectors picked Mohammad Saifuddin in the ODI squad for the three-match series against South Africa in an attempt to examine whether the 20-year old cricketer can fill the void of a seam-bowling all-rounder in the team.
Saifuddin, who drew the selectors' attention after his impressive performance in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, has already played two T20Is in April this year and was the only fresh inclusion in the 16-member squad. All-rounder Nasir Hossain was recalled to the side as Mosaddek Hossain is yet to fully recover from his eye infection.
Initially the board had announced a 15-member squad but in a separate message later the Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed that Mominul Haque was also included in the ODI side. The left-hander, who has been tagged as a 'longer-version specialist' by the team management, last played an ODI in February 2015 against Sri Lanka.
"We have got a settled one-day team except for a quality seam-bowling all-rounder. We are desperately looking at a seam-bowling all-rounder. We have tried few before but did not get the desired results. Now Saifuddin looks better among our available resources," selector Habibul Bashar said.
"I saw him during the High Performance team's last tour to England and he has the ability. But he has to long way to go. We want to see how this young all-rounder responds on the international stage," he added.
Bashar informed that they did not have much to think about in recalling Nasir when Mosaddek was injured. "Nasir was always in our consideration and we know we can depend on him as a senior campaigner. But the arrival of Mosaddek has created a huge competition for his place in the team."
The selectors made four changes to the squad from the last ODI team, which played in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England as wicketkeeper batsman Liton Das, Nasir, Saifuddin and Mominul were included in place of Sunzamul Islam, Mosaddek and pacer Shafiul Islam.
ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir and Saifuddin are scheduled to fly for South Africa tomorrow while Shafiul, Taijul Islam and Subhashis Roy are expected to return home after the Test series.
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