Anamul Haque likely to replace Sarkar in Bangladesh squad for the tri-series

Bangladesh, of late, have witnessed an upsurge in quality and potential players, who have enriched the national team. And with a plethora of promising cricketers, the once-pushover team from the subcontinent has now evolved into an indomitable force in international cricket.

And with the dawn of the new year, the Tigers face a congested schedule which will test the tenacity and grit of the team as a whole. They face their first challenge of the year when they play a tri-series consisting of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. The squad for the same will be announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday.

And according to sources, batsmen Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das, and fast bowler Taskin Ahmed is speculated to be dropped for the tri-nation series. Mosaddek Hossain may also miss out on the selection as he has already been released from the preliminary squad to play in the Bangladesh Cricket League.

Bangladesh to feature a new look

Anamul Haque looks the prospective replacement for Soumya in the squad. The right-hander enjoyed a productive last year in first-class cricket amassing 1077 runs at 63.35 including two double centuries. Left-arm orthodox spinner Nazmul Islam is likely to get maiden ODI call-up. He featured in the first warm-up game on Saturday.

Imrul Kayes, whose form has been questioned, may still retain his place in the squad but Anamul could eclipse him in the playing XI. Sabbir Rahman, who didn’t have a good 2017 with the bat, is likely to make his way in the squad with Nasir Hossain. The Tigers will be playing all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan at number three, as the Tigers kick off the series with a match against Zimbabwe on January 15.

Bangladesh’s likely ODI squad:

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Hasan (vice-captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah Riyad, Sabbir Rahman, Anamul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nazmul Islam.