Khaled Replaces Mustafizur in Bangladesh ‘A’ Squad for New Zealand Series
A change has been made to the previously announced squad for the first two matches of the three-match series in Sylhet.
Mustafizur Rahman was originally scheduled to be in Sylhet for the Bangladesh ‘A’ team’s series against New Zealand ‘A’. However, he is currently on a short break. Though initially included in the squad, the experienced left-arm pacer was later withdrawn due to changing circumstances. In his place, fast bowler Syed Khaled Ahmed has been called up.
The decision to make the change was finalized during the ongoing Bangladesh-Zimbabwe Test in Chittagong. Shahriar Nafees, head of BCB’s cricket operations, confirmed the update, stating that Mustafizur will no longer be part of the ‘A’ team.
“One change has been made. When the ‘A’ team was initially selected, Mustafizur hadn’t played many matches (in the Dhaka Premier League). Later, as he featured in a few Super League games and got some match practice, the selectors felt it was a good opportunity to give someone else a chance,” he said.
Including one of the country’s most experienced pacers — who has been playing international cricket for almost a decade — in the ‘A’ team raised some eyebrows. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain explained the rationale behind first selecting Mustafizur and later dropping him.
“It’s not that experienced international players can’t play in the ‘A’ team. Before the Pakistan tour, players like Mushfiq and Mominul also played in the ‘A’ team as part of their preparation. Anyone can be included if they’re returning from injury, need match practice, or the situation demands it.”
“Mustafiz was out of action for a while. He didn’t play early in the DPL. In his first match for Mohammedan, he bowled just two overs. In the next, he bowled nine. At that time, we were finalizing the ‘A’ team. We weren’t sure how many matches he would play or how many overs he could bowl.”
Bangladesh will tour Pakistan later this month for a five-match T20I series. The chief selector said the selectors wanted to assess Mustafizur’s bowling and preparation ahead of that tour.
“The New Zealand ‘A’ team has several quality players. We thought it would be a good challenge for Mustafiz before the Pakistan tour. If he bowled in three spells on a Sylhet pitch where the ball doesn’t grip much, it would have helped him. That’s part of why we initially included him.”
However, Mustafizur went on to play three more Super League matches in the DPL, bowling 28 overs in total across five games and taking five wickets. That match practice was deemed sufficient by the selectors.
With Taskin Ahmed still recovering from injury and his availability uncertain, the selectors now feel it’s more appropriate for Mustafizur to remain in the national team camp. They’ve also held detailed discussions with coach Phil Simmons and Mustafizur himself.
Chief selector Gazi Ashraf further explained why Khaled was chosen as the replacement.
“When we decided not to play Khaled in the second Test against Zimbabwe, we included him in the ‘A’ team. If he had played that Test, we might have replaced Mustafizur with someone else. But since he didn’t play in Chittagong, we informed him that he would feature in the ‘A’ team.”
The New Zealand ‘A’ team has already arrived in Bangladesh for the series. The three-match one-day series starts Monday, followed by games on Wednesday and May 10 — all to be played in Sylhet. Afterward, the teams will play two unofficial Test matches — the first in Sylhet, the second in Mirpur.
Bangladesh ‘A’ Squad
Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim Sheikh, Anamul Haque, Mahidul Islam, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mosaddek Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Naim Hasan, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Rejaur Rahman Raja.
