Abedin explains inclusions, exclusions
There was no reasonable doubt regarding the inclusion of the likes of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan in Bangladesh's World Cup squad. In fact, the core of the squad was ready with 13 of the names quite certain to land a World Cup spot. The major surprises came in the form of the inclusions of Abu Jayed Rahi and Mosaddek Hossain, while the likes of Imrul Kayes and Taskin Ahmed -- both experienced at the international stage – were overlooked. Chief selector Minhajul Abedin informed a crowded press conference yesterday that they put emphasis on experience, considering the English conditions, before explaining the reasons behind the inclusions and exclusions in the World Cup and tri-nation squads. Here is what the selector had to say about the players that made the cut and the ones that are in contention for a spot on the World Cup squad.
TASKIN AHMED: We have been thinking of him for a while. He played his last international match for Bangladesh on October 22. We were thinking of him for the New Zealand tour (Taskin was initially named in the squad) but he was ruled out after injury. At this moment he is not fully fit. In that regard, we don't want a player who just fits the skill criteria. In domestic leagues he played a match due to being skill fit. He still has time. We are sending a 17-member squad to Ireland and if he is fit then we will keep him as back-up if needed.
IMRUL KAYES: We have a 20-member pool and Imrul is in the list. The team management was looking for a right-left combination in the top order and considering that, Imrul was left out.
ABU JAYED RAHI: Rahi got the chance to play Tests on the New Zealand tour but he could not play the ODIs. However, what we saw was that he could generate enough swing. We don't have enough swing bowlers and we thought that it would be plus point for us if we could include a bowler like Rahi, considering the conditions in England and Ireland due to the cold weather in May-June.
MOSADDEK HOSSAIN: Saikat [Mosaddek] played well in the domestic circuit. We were looking for a spin-bowling all-rounder because Riyad [Mahmudullah Riyad] has been suffering from a shoulder injury. We are considering him a back-up as Riyad may not bowl.
SHAFIUL ISLAM: Shafiul was well ahead of the others during the selection panel's discussion but when we spoke to the team management, Rahi's name came into consideration, especially when we were thinking about a swing bowler.
CONCERN OVER SOUMYA SARKAR AND LITON DAS'S FORM: We are definitely concerned about their form but still we have enough time before the World Cup and we have a tri-nation series in Ireland. It's not like they did not perform previously and we believe it's a matter of time before they get back their form.
YASIR ALI: We saw him in the domestic circuit and also saw him when he was in the High Performance team. He has got the talent. He played well in the last Bangladesh Premier League and also performed in the domestic shorter and longer version competitions. As we are looking for a suitable batsman at the number three position, we picked him because he would be an asset if he improves under national team management.
CHANCES OF MAKING FEW CHANGES AFTER IRELAND SERIES: We will definitely consider the performances in the Ireland series as we can make changes till May 22. So, we will definitely analyse the performances. We have some injured players and there is a possibility of injury and you also cannot rule out mental fatigue if you consider the timespan of the trip. We also have to prepare players outside the 17-member squad.
EXPECTATIONS: The expectation is to see the team in the last four. I think we have an experienced ODI team. You see we have won 51% of our matches after the 2015 World Cup and it's a plus point for us. Because of this experience our expectations are high. I firmly believe that this team has the ability to go into the last four.
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