Competitive cricket will return in the country after a gap of six months with a three-team 50-over tournament beginning in Dhaka on Sunday (Oct 11).
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday (Oct 6) announced three separate teams for the competition which will feature national cricketers, players from the High Performance Unit and selected members of the 2020 ICC Under-19 World Cup champion squad.
The event is a part of the continuing initiatives of the BCB aimed at a gradual resumption of normal cricketing activities in the country which have been disrupted since March this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tournament is expected to provide all leading and upcoming cricketers the opportunity for some quality competitive cricket in the current situation.
The three teams have been named after three respective captains – Md Mahmud Ullah, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Tamim Iqbal khan.
Each team will face each other twice with the top two teams in the points table of league basis matches will play in the final on Oct 23.
All the matches will take place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on day-night basis and all the matches will begin at 3:30 p.m.
There will be reserve days for every match.
Mahmudullah Xl will play Najmul XI in the opening match on Oct 11.
In the next matches, Mahmudullah Xl will play Tamim Xl on Oct 13, Naimul Xl will play Tamim Xl on Oct 15, Mahmudullah Xl to play Najmul Xl on Oct 17, Mahmudullah Xl to play Tamim Xl on Oct 19 while Najmul Xl to play Tamim Xl on Oct 21 on league basis before the final on Oct 23.
To ensure health and safety standards for Covid-19, the players, support staff, match officials and relevant personnel including grounds and facilities staff will be placed in a bio-secure bubble for the tournament.
Squads:
Mahmud Ullah XI: Md Mahmud Ullah (Captain), Naim Sheikh, Litton Kumer Das, Mominul Haque, Mahmudul Hasan, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shabbir Rahaman, Imrul Kayes, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Rubel Hossain, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury Nipun, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rakibul Hasan, Aminul Islam Biplob.
Standby: Abu Haider Rony, Sunzamul Islam, Hasan Murad.
Najmul XI: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hasan, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Mushfiqur Rahim, Towhid Ridoy, Irfan Sukkur, Pervez Hossain Emon, Taskin Ahmed, Mohammed Al-Amin Hossain, Abu Jayed Rahi, Muqidul Islam Mugdho, Nayeem Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain.
Standby: Sumon Khan, Shadman Islam, Tanvir Islam.
Tamim XI: Tamim Iqbal Khan (Captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Md Mithun, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Akbar Ali, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Md Shaif Uddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Sk Mahadi Hasan, Taijul Islam, Minhajul Abedin Afridi.
Stand by: Shafiqul Islam, Mahidul Ankon, Mehedi Hasan Rana.
