Onus on Soumya as BD A start with 4-dayer

The focus will be on Soumya Sarkar when Bangladesh A take on their Sri Lankan counterparts today in the first four-dayer of a two-match series at the MCG in Katunayake.

Soumya was dropped from the national team after the second match of the ongoing T20I tri-series following a poor run with the bat. The onus will now be on the stylish left-hander to seize the opportunity, regain some confidence and score runs in order to be in the conversation when the squad is picked for the next international assignment in India in November.

The selectors picked put together a strong second-string squad for the tour and will be looking to the players like captain Mominul Haque, Mehdi Hasan Miraz, pacer Abu Jayed, Mohammad Mithun, Shadman Islam, Jahurul Islam and Anamul Haque.

Mominul, who will lead in both the four-day series and the ensuing three-match one-day series, said in the pre-series press conference that they were ‘looking forward to playing good cricket on the tour’.

Nazmul Hossain, who took Soumya’s place in the T20 tri-series squad, was also drafted in the A side but will only be available from the second four-dayer, which will start from September 30 in Galle.

Ashan Priyanjan will lead the home side in the four-day series. The three one-dayers will be held on October 7, 9 and 12.