Tamim Iqbal, the captain of Bangladesh in one-day international matches, has issued a challenge to his team by saying that spots in his lineup for this year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India are still up for grabs.
The Asian team has already secured a spot in this year’s 50-over showcase and will have the opportunity to hone their abilities during upcoming series against Ireland and Afghanistan.
Three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League games against Ireland are Bangladesh’s first assignment this week, and the Tigers will be without a number of important players for the three games in Chelmsford.
Taskin Ahmed, a crucial pacer, is injured and Mahmud Ullah, an experienced batter, is being rested. A number of fringe players are also being trialled ahead of the World Cup, which will take place in India later this year.
Tamim acknowledged that competition for positions within his team is healthy and stated that there was still much to be resolved before Bangladesh selects its World Cup roster.
Tamim asserted briskly, “There are no specific spots that, I can guarantee, are already fixed.
“We’ll play this series and the following one in various settings, and the best team will advance to the World Cup.
For the time being, Towhid Hridoy, for example, has performed admirably.
“It’s too soon to comment, but he’s done exceptionally well in the one series he played in.”
Ireland’s Super League performance has been inferior to Bangladesh’s, with Tamim’s team currently sitting fourth in the standings after winning 13 of their 21 ODI matches.
With a convincing victory over Ireland, they can surpass England and India and place as high as second in the standings, but Tamim is aware that the European team will be tough to beat in those conditions.
Tamim said, “I don’t want to use the word favourites a lot.
“We came here to play good cricket and win games, but you can never predict what will happen in cricket in advance. In these circumstances, they work well together because they are accustomed to the environment. We anticipate a strong and competitive series.
Bangladesh squad to play Ireland: Tamim Iqbal (c), Litton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury
