Bangladesh draft uncapped Aliss Al Islam for Asian Games after Saifuddin injury

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on September 23, 2026 that uncapped off-spinner Aliss Al Islam has been drafted into the Bangladesh squad for the Asian Games 2026, replacing injured all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin.

Saifuddin sustained a right hamstring injury during a practice session on September 19, 2026 and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament. Team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan assessed the injury and determined that Saifuddin will require approximately three weeks of rehabilitation before he can return to action. Given that Bangladesh's quarter-final is scheduled for September 29, 2026, that timeline rules him out of the entire tournament.

Aliss, 29, is primarily known as a specialist in limited-overs cricket. He had recently featured for the Bangladesh 'A' team in an ODI series in South Africa before being called up to replace the pace-bowling all-rounder in the Asian Games squad.

Who is Aliss Al Islam and what does he bring to the squad?

Aliss Al Islam is a mystery off-spinner who has not yet represented Bangladesh at the senior international level, making this call-up a significant step in his career. At 29, he is an experienced domestic cricketer whose reputation has been built around limited-overs formats.

His most recent notable assignment before this call-up was with the Bangladesh 'A' side, where he featured in the ODI series in South Africa. That performance on a high-profile 'A' tour appears to have kept him in the selectors' consideration ahead of the Asian Games.

Saifuddin, the player he replaces, is a pace-bowling all-rounder, which means the two players offer markedly different skill sets. The squad now includes Aliss as an additional spin option alongside the spinners already named in the original 15-man group, which featured Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed.

Bangladesh squad for the Asian Games 2026:

Litton Das (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mosaddek Hossain, Yasir Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Aliss Al Islam

When do Bangladesh play next at the Asian Games 2026?

Bangladesh are scheduled to play their quarter-final at the Asian Games on September 29, 2026. With Saifuddin's rehabilitation expected to take around three weeks from the date of injury on September 19, he will not be available for any stage of the tournament.