The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the preliminary squad for the forthcoming international Tweny20 commitments in the year 2016 today.

The selected players will report to National Team Strength & Conditioning Coach Mario Villavarayen at the National Cricket Academy on 03 January, 2016 at 9:30 am, according to the media release issued from BCB.

Abu Haider Rony, who had a terrific BPL-2015 with the ball found a place in the preliminary squad. Hider took 21 wickets from 12 matches, one short of equalling the top-wicket taker in BPL, at an average of 15.04 and economy rate of 6.91. The other uncapped players are batsman Mosaddek Hossain, left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib and wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan.

Pacemen Shafiul Islam, Mohammad Shahid and Taskin Ahmed, batsmen Mohammad Mithun and Jahurul Islam and spinners Abul Hasan and Shuvagata Hom have also been included despite not playing T20s for Bangladesh in their last assignment, against Zimbabwe in November.

The chief selector Faruque Ahmed said they had to keep fast bowler Rubel Hossain out of the preliminary squad due to his calf injury and added they don't have opening batsman Rony Talukdar and legspinner Jubair Hossain in their immediate plans.

Preliminary Squad:

Tamim Iqbal, Shabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarker, Masrafe Bin Mortaza, Imrul Kayes, Mustafizur Rahman, Jahurul Islam, Abu Haider Rony, Liton Kumar Das, Al Amin Hossain, Anamul Hoque Bijoy, Shafiul Islam, Mosadek Hossain Saikot, Md Shahid, Md Mithun, Abul Hasan Raju, Mushfiqur Rahim, Taskin Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Mahmud Ullah, Arafat Sunny, Nasir Hossain, Saqlain Sajib, Qazi Nurul Hasan, Shohag Gazi and Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury.   

The Asia Cup for 2016 will be held in Twenty20 format for the first time, will be accommodated in the slot available between February 24 and March 6, 2016.

On March 8, 2016, the ICC World T20 tournament will begin in India where Bangladesh will play three games against Netherlands, Ireland and Oman on 9, 11 and 13 March respectively. If Bangladesh top their group, they will qualify to play the Big Boys later in the competition.

Bangladeshi players in a huddle before the start of a game. File Photo: Firoz Ahmed