Unchanged squad reflects selectors’ push for continuity

Habibul Bashar, chairman of the national selection panel, said on Saturday that maintaining continuity in the side was the key reason behind naming an unchanged squad from the previous Pakistan ODI series for the opening two matches of the three-ODI series against New Zealand, starting on April 17.

“When we reviewed the team, we felt the last series was successful. Bangladesh played good cricket, and some players didn’t get the chance to be in the playing XI. Some new players have come in, and our policy is to give adequate opportunities to anyone who comes into the team,” Bashar told reporters while announcing the 15-member squad.

“Those who played didn’t perform poorly. We want to believe in continuity, which is why we didn’t change the team for this series,” he added.

Bashar also said that the selectors are keen to avoid major changes ahead of the ICC World Cup 2027, with the primary goal being to secure enough wins to ensure direct qualification for the tournament in Africa.

“We don’t want to make major changes before the World Cup. If we need to assess someone, we will do so within the next six months or a year. The team’s first priority is to win matches. We will build the best possible side to win, while also planning for the World Cup -- but not at the cost of our winning mentality,” he said.

This was the first squad announcement of the newly formed four-member selection panel. All four members -- Bashar, Hasibul Hossain, Naeem Islam and Nadif Chowdhury -- were present at the press conference to announce the squad.

In the last home series against Pakistan, which Bangladesh won 2-1, the hosts fielded an unchanged XI in all three matches. As a result, Soumya Sarkar--despite performing well in the preceding ODI series against West Indies--did not get a game.

However, Bashar remains optimistic about Soumya’s prospects.

“I’ve watched Soumya in practice over the past few days. The way he is handling off-spin is impressive. He is an important asset for the team. We have many matches ahead, and everyone will get opportunities.

“Having a player like Soumya on the bench shows the strength of our squad. When he gets his chance, we want to give him enough opportunities,” he said.

The selector also backed Saif Hassan and Najmul Hossain Shanto despite their recent struggles.

Saif made 52 runs in three innings against Pakistan while Shanto hasn’t scored a fifty in his last 12 ODI innings.

“The previous selection committee worked with a plan. Saif was included as an opener, and we want to settle that position. Giving someone just three matches is not enough. We want to give him more opportunities before making a decision. We don’t want to get into a chop-and-change approach,” he said.

“Shanto is one of our quality batters. Yes, he is not in great touch, but we hope he will deliver better performances,” Bashar added.

He also noted that Litton Das is currently being considered at number four but could return to the opening role in the future.

“Litton has been successful as an opener. He has been moved to the middle order for stability. After Mushfiqur [Rahim] and [Mahmudullah] Riyad, we needed experience there. For now, we are considering him in that role. We will see what happens in the future,” he said.

Bangladesh are currently undergoing a preparation camp at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Players such as Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana, Rishad Hossain and Tanzid Hasan Tamim--currently featuring in the Pakistan Super League (PSL)--will join the squad after April 12.

New Zealand are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on April 13, with the first ODI set to take place at Mirpur on April 17. The second ODI will also be held in Mirpur on April 20 before the teams travel to Chattogram for the third and final ODI on April 23.

The T20I series will begin in Chattogram on April 27, with the second match on April 29. The final T20I will be held in Dhaka on May 2.

All ODIs will start at 11:00am, while the T20Is are scheduled to begin at 2:00pm.

Bangladesh squad

Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Afif Hossain, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana.