BD ‘A’ team gear up to fill nat’l team gaps in series against NZ
Agency :
The Bangladesh ‘A’ team is not just aiming for victories in the upcoming series against New Zealand ‘A’-they are focused on addressing key gaps in the national side.
With that in mind, national team head coach Phil Simmons is already in Sylhet to observe the action ahead of the series opener today.
Wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan has been named Captain for the first two one-day matches of the series, which will be held on May 5 and 7 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
The third one-dayer will be played on May 10 at the adjacent outer ground. Two four-day matches are also scheduled to follow, split between Sylhet and Dhaka.
Head coach of the ‘A’ team, Mizanur Rahman Babul, stated during a media interaction on Sunday that the primary goal is to build a strong pipeline for the national side.
“Our aim is to fill the existing gaps in the national team. Of course, we want to win by playing good cricket, but the bigger picture is strengthening the pipeline. We want to keep some players ready for national duty,” said Mizanur.
Despite being a development side, the ‘A’ team is packed with experienced cricketers who have already featured at the international level.
Along with captain Sohan, seasoned players like Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Shoriful Islam, and Ebadot Hossain add depth to the squad. In contrast, the visiting New Zealand ‘A’ side has only a handful of players with international experience.
Players who performed well in the recently concluded Dhaka Premier League have also been included in the squad, reflecting the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) intention to groom capable alternatives.
Mizanur added that they are working in line with the directives of head coach Simmons to support the national setup from the ground up. “We are working under his leadership. Whatever support is needed to strengthen his team, we’ll provide it from below. Everything should work under one umbrella,” he said.
All matches of the series will be broadcast live on T-Sports.
Bangladesh ‘A’ Squad: Parvez Hossain Emon, Naim Sheikh, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Saif Hassan, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Yasir Ali, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Nurul Hasan Sohan (captain), Nayeem Hasan, Shamim Hossain Patwary, Tanvir Islam, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed.