Squad set, destination unknown, World Cup fate in limbo

Amid lingering uncertainty over Bangladesh's participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the global tournament, scheduled from February 7 to March 8, with no major surprises.

Departing from usual practice, the squad was announced through a press release instead of a press conference of the selectors.

Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu said the squad was selected purely on "performance and combination" and stressed that changes could still be made before the ICC deadline.

"We still have time. Based on the situation, we have the authority to finalise the squad until January 31… This is the final squad for now, but with room for changes if extraordinary circumstances arise," Lipu told The Daily Star.

However, around five hours later, the BCB shared another press release that completely shifted the focus away from the World Cup squad, announcing that it had formally requested the ICC to relocate Bangladesh's T20 World Cup matches to a venue outside of India.

As per the current fixtures, Bangladesh, placed in Group C, will face the West Indies, Italy and England on February 7, 9 and 14 respectively at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, before taking on Nepal on February 17 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

But now, the BCB has refused to send its national team to India due to "growing concerns regarding the safety and security" after the BCCI seemingly bowed to pressure from political forces and religious leaders in India and directed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad on Saturday.

The BCB has passed the ball to the ICC's court, and it is yet to officially respond. Till it does, Bangladesh's participation in the mega event will continue to be in limbo.

If the Tigers go on to compete in the tournament and the current squad remains unchanged, they would do so without wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali, who has lost his place in the side after a significant drop in form in recent months despite extended opportunities.

Since the Asia Cup T20 in the UAE, Jaker has scored just 161 runs in his last 11 innings at an average of 17.88, while his heavy reliance on leg-side shots have drawn criticism.

At the top of the order, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Saif Hassan and captain Litton Das remain the primary options, while Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Nurul Hasan Sohan bolster the middle order. Opener Parvez Hossain Emon is expected to bat at No.4 after impressing in that role during the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Bangladesh have opted for a pace-heavy attack, featuring Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam and Mohammad Saifuddin. Rishad Hossain will spearhead the spin department alongside Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan.

Despite strong performances in the BPL, Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and pacer Ripon Mondol were overlooked, though both remain in contention should changes be required.

Bangladesh squad: Litton Das (c), Saif Hassan (vc), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam