The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a preliminary squad of 27 members for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. Two key names who have been added into the squad are Mahmudullah Riyad and Mustafizur Rahman. Mahmudullah was earlier told by the board to concentrate more on white-ball cricket.

Mustafizur is one among nine pace bowlers in the 27-member list. Incidentally, BCB recently denied No Objection Certificate to the pacer for playing in IPL to be a part of the camp.

“Yes, Mahmudullah is there in the 27-member preliminary squad that we prepared for government order ahead of the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka,” BCB chief selector Minhajul Abedin told Cricbuzz on Thursday (September 10).

Bangladesh announce squad for Sri Lanka tour

“This is just a preliminary squad and we are working on visas for all these players. But when we will get into the hotel for the residential camp ahead of the tour it will be shortened to 20 cricketers”, he further added.

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The BCB has also kept the COVID-19 safety protocols in mind while naming the squad. “We are keeping everyone in the preliminary squad because we have to keep some stand-by. Considering the present COVID situation, stand-by’s are very important so we decided to keep seven.

We have picked nine pace bowlers in the preliminary squad but that does not mean we will pick all of them as six pace bowlers will travel with us in the 20-member squad”, the BCB Chief Selector added.

Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka was originally scheduled for July-August. but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bangladesh are likely to travel to Sri Lanka on September 27. They will then play two three-day matches against a high-performance squad which will travel with the main team.

Bangladesh are also likely to play a three-day match against Sri Lana from October 18. The test series between the two sides will start from October 24 in Kandy.

Bangladesh’s 27-Member Preliminary Squad for Sri Lanka Tour

Mominul Haque (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Sadman Islam, Saif Hassan, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Nazmul Hasan Shanto, Mossadek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mehedy Hasan Miraj, Taijul Islam, Sanjamul Islam, Naeem Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Al Amin Hossain, Saifuddin, Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed, Hasan Mahmud.