Tigers announce Twenty20 squad

Bangladesh have predictably dropped veterans Habibul Bashar and Khaled Mashud from their 30-man shortlist for the upcoming Twenty20 World Championships. The duo make way for a host of young talent, many of whom have been developed through the Under 19 and Bangladesh A sides, while the majority of the current one-day international squad retain their places.

Mashud is replaced by 19-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman Dhiman Ghosh, who topped the run-scoring charts in the National One-Day Cricket League earlier this year for Chittagong. Other uncapped players to watch out for include the likes of Junaid Siddique, Gazi Salahuddin and Jahurul Islam, all aggressive openers who have flourished in domestic cricket. Nazmul Hossain Milon, a clean-hitting allrounder from Dhaka, is another new face to keep an eye on.

The squad will be pruned to a final 15-man outfit on August 15.

Squad: Mohammad Ashraful (captain, Dhaka), Abdur Razzak (Khulna), Aftab Ahmed (Chittagong), Alok Kapali (Sylhet), Dhiman Ghosh (Chittagong), Dollar Mahmud (Khulna), Farhad Reza (Rajshahi), Gazi Salahuddin (Chittagong), Jahurul Islam (Rajshahi), Junaid Siddique (Rajshahi), Mahmudullah Riyad (Dhaka), Mashrafe Mortaza (Khulna), Mohammad Rafique (Dhaka), Mohammad Shahzada (Rajshahi), Mohammad Sharif (Dhaka), Mushfiqur Rahim (Rajshahi), Nadif Chowdhury (Dhaka), Naeem Islam (Rajshahi), Nazimuddin (Chittagong), Nazmul Hossain Milon (Dhaka), Nazmus Sadat (Khulna), Shahadat Hossain (Dhaka), Shahriar Nafees (Barisal), Shakib Al Hasan (Khulna), Suhrawadi Shuvo (Rajshahi), Syed Rasel (Khulna), Tamim Iqbal (Chittagong), Tapash Baisya (Sylhet), Tushar Imran (Khulna), Ziaur Rahman (Khulna)