Lack of options sees Soumya cross over to red-ball zone

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday named a host of players for 'A' team's tour of Pakistan to play Pakistan A in two four-day matches and three one-day matches. Two separate squads were announced for the two four-day matches and another squad for the one-day matches on August 23, 25 and 27 respectively.

The A Team's longer-version matches will be followed by the national team's two-Test tour of Pakistan and it could be surmised that the first four-day match of the A team's tour is being prioritised to allow a few national team players to adjust to the conditions in Pakistan before the Test matches.

The Daily Star had previously reported that Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim, two veterans of the national team's Test squad, are to play the first four-dayer for A team. Along with those two, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Nayeem Hasan and Hasan Mahmud from the national team have been selected for that match, which will begin in Islamabad on August 10.

The national team squad for Pakistan Tests is yet to be announced but it is believed that at least six players from the first red-ball game will join the national team camp in Pakistan after the match.

Surprisingly, Soumya Sarkar and Tawhid Hridoy, who are considered white-ball players, have been named in the squad for the second four-day match of the A Team, scheduled to be played in Islamabad from August 17.

"They [Soumya and Hridoy] are basically for one-dayers and will play [four-day matches] if required. It's likely that the players for the second four-day game and the one-day players will go together. So the delegation of players will be 17 to 18 [members]. If there are injuries or otherwise, they are in the squad," BCB chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu told The Daily Star yesterday.

The selectors had issues selecting the 'A' team with quite a few players having just finished their BCB HP red-ball assignment in Australia. Thus, the likes of Soumya or Hridoy are not the priority for red-ball games but may play given that they are already named for the 'A' team's three-match one-day squad and will be travelling with the one-day squad together.

"There aren't too many players available and we have few players in Australia too. The likes of Soumya are not in the priority list for the four-day game even if they play there," Lipu informed.

Opener Anamul Haque, all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain, spinner Tanvir Islam and pacer Tanzim Sakib are in all the squads for both red-ball and white-ball assignments while all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin, wicket-keeper batter Jaker Ali Anik, opener Mohammad Naim along with Soumya have made the squads for the second four-day and the one-day phase of the tour.

Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and off-spinner Sheikh Mahedi were named in just the one-day squad. With a couple of players being carried over, following the announcement of the national team for Pakistan tour, the playing elevens of the 'A' team's second four-day match and one-day matches will find more solidity.