Bangladesh announce T20I squad for Pakistan tour

A 16-member squad has been announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for the upcoming T20I series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan.

Experienced wicketkeeper batter Litton Das will lead Bangladesh in the upcoming tours as he has been formally named the T20I captain after Najmul Hossain Shanto relinquished the role earlier this year.

Off-spinner Mahedi Hasan will serve as Das’s deputy on the UAE and Pakistan tours.

Das had also represented Bangladesh in a three-match T20I against West Indies last year in December as Shanto was unavailable due to an injury.

Overall, the 30-year-old has led Bangladesh in one Test, seven ODIs and four T20Is.

Das was recently a part of Karachi Kings’ squad for the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 but was ruled out of the marquee league after sustaining a finger injury while training.

Meanwhile, Shanto is one of the five players who returned to Bangladesh’s T20I squad, accompanied by Towhid Hridoy, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam.

For the unversed, Bangladesh will first tour UAE for two T20Is, scheduled to be played in Sharjah on May 17 and 19.

The Tigers will then head to Pakistan, where they will play a five-match series from May 25 to June 3.

Bangladesh squad for T20Is in UAE and Pakistan

Litton Das (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan (vice-capt), Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam