Asia Cup 2023: Bangladesh add young opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim to squad

Young opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim is now part of the 17-member squad of Bangladesh for the Asia Cup 2023, slated to begin later this month.

The mega cricket tournament will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 to September 17.

The Bangladeshi left-hand batter was part of the team that claimed victory in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup held in South Africa. Since his entry into the international arena, Tamim was prepared as a potential addition to the Bangladeshi side.

The 22-year-old scored 179 runs in four matches of July's Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, with three half-centuries and a strike rate of 117.

"Our national selection panel is very confident about Tanzid," chief selector Minhajul Abedin told reporters.

"Hopefully, he is waiting to give the country something very good."

Tamim takes the place of former captain Tamim Iqbal, who pulled out of the Asia Cup due to injury.

The Bangladeshi selectors also picked up lower-order batsman Shamim Hossain, who played 17 T20Is for Bangladesh but has yet to make his ODI debut.

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam has been dropped from the squad with Minhajul saying the "more defensive" Nasum Ahmed was preferred for the flat wickets expected in the Asia Cup.

Minhajul said Bangladesh's squad for the World Cup in India in October would not necessarily match the Asia Cup squad.

"We will have until September 5 to think of our World Cup squad. Until then, our concern is only the Asia Cup," he said.

Bangladesh will play alongside Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in Group B of the Asia Cup, which starts on August 30.

All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will return as ODI captain.

Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Liton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Mohammad Naim.

— Additional input by AFP