Bangladesh have had some outstanding performances in the 50-over format over the last 6–7 years. Though these brilliant performances have unfortunately been limited to bilateral or triangular series only, an opportunity exists for the nation to move a step up in status, in the form of the upcoming World Cup. In this article, we look at the Bangladesh ODI World Cup squad that can help them do so.
Though Bangladesh is not even close to being a favourite, they still have an opportunity to do well on the world stage. This time, playing conditions will suit them as the World Cup is held in India, and having won most of their ODI series in the recent past, this should boost their confidence.
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Bangladesh's ODI World Cup squad
On Tuesday, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) named Bangladesh's 15-member squad for the World Cup 2023. The BCB put forth the squad after the conclusion of the third ODI against New Zealand.
The Bangladesh Squad for the Asia Cup 2023. 🏏 🇧🇩#BCB | #cricket | #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/lv3Yd7Twix
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) August 12, 2023
The following squad will also travel to India for the ICC World Cup 2023.
Specialist Batters
These are the specialist batters in the Bangladesh ODI World Cup squad:
- Najmul Hossain Shanto
Najmul Hossain Shanto is the second-highest run-getter for Bangladesh in the ODIs played in 2023. Yes, his ODI career is still young, but Najmul has promised a lot. His ODI average is around 23, but in the last 15 games, he has been scoring at 49.85. Considering his current form, it was not a surprise that he made the Bangladesh ODI World Cup squad.
- Towhid Hridoy
Towhid Hridoy is in a purple patch at the moment. In the ODIs played by him in 2023, he has scored 518 runs at an amazing average of 37. Towhid is a right-handed batter who made his ODI debut in March against Afghanistan. He has already shown that he can be a batter for crunch situations.
3. Tanzid Hasan Tamim
Tanzid Hasan Tamim, a part of Bangladesh's 2020 U19 World Cup-winning squad, has been picked for the World Cup. Although he got out for a duck on debut back in the Asia Cup 2023, he has shown a lot of promise of late. In Tamim Iqbal's absence, Junior Tamim has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.
Wicket keepers
Bangladesh will likely go into the 2023 World Cup with these two wicket keepers:
- Litton Das
Liton Das is a right-handed wicketkeeper from Bangladesh. He has a very sound technique and can really mix caution and aggression to build the inning brick by brick. He is a good player of spin, which will be useful while playing on the spin-friendly tracks in India.
- Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur Rahim has been the saviour of Bangladesh on numerous occasions. This keeper batter is very busy on the crease. He is excellent when it comes to rotating the strike. Bangladesh have snatched victories from the jaws of defeat on many occasions, and Mushfiqur was the main man behind those heroics. This former captain is as important as newly appointed skipper Shakib Al Hasan.
All-rounders
Bangladesh's all-round department look like this in India next month:
- Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan is considered one of the top all-rounders of this generation. He is a high-quality batter, a deceptive left-arm orthodox bowler, and a live wire on the field. Shakib has scored 7384 runs and taken 308 wickets in 240 ODIs. His experience would be a blessing for the young players in the squad.
Shakib Al Hasan appointed as the new Bangladesh captain for ODIs.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 11, 2023
He'll lead Bangladesh in the Asia Cup and the 2023 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/Km4EUtWjne
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Mehidy Hasan Miraz is one of the all-rounders to look for in the World Cup 2023. During the initial few months of his international career, Mehidy earned a reputation as a wicket-taking bowler. Though he went deeper and deeper into his career, he got the chance to show his potential right away. Now he is considered a proper all-rounder, with Shakib and Mehidy forming a deadly combo.
3. Mahmudullah Riyad
There were doubts over whether Mahmudullah Riyad would make a comeback to the national team after being left out of the Asia Cup. But the veteran found a place in the 15-member squad. He is not only a handy batter lower down the order, but also an effective off-break bowler, who can be handy in Indian conditions.
4. Mahedi Hasan
Among the emerging all-rounders Bangladesh had quite a few all-rounders to pick from. In the end, the Tigers preferred Mahedi Hasan over the likes of Afif Hossain Dhrubo and Shamim Hossain Patowary. Mahedi recently played in the Asia Cup as well as the bilateral series against New Zealand.
Specialist Bowlers
The Bangladesh ODI World Cup squad might consist of the following bowlers:
- Taskin Ahmed
Taskin Ahmed is an out-and-out quick bowler for Bangladesh and has been their main man for many years. Taskin is a tall and equally strong lad who can bowl around 145 kmph consistently, and enough experience to lead the Bangladesh bowling line-up. He is the top wicket-taker for Bangladesh in ODIs in 2023.
- Mustafizur Rahman
Mustafizur Rahman is an expert when it comes to fooling the batters with slower pitches and cutters. He can clock around 135 kmph, while the slower ones can be around 110 kmph. This speed difference is all created without giving even the slightest hint to the batters, and that makes him a lethal bowler.
- Hasan Mahmud
Hasan Mahmud is the young prodigy that every Bangladeshi cricket fan has hopes for. Hasan is a rare entity in Bangladesh cricket, as he can bowl extremely fast and is equally quick while fielding. He is the joint top wicket-taker for Bangladesh, along with Taskin Ahmed, in the ODIs played in 2023.
- Shoriful Islam
Shoriful Islam is the product of the U-19 setup in Bangladesh. Shoriful is a left-hand pacer who is known for his hostile bowling and aggression on the pitch. Shoriful Islam has taken 16 wickets in eight ODIs this year, with a magnificent average of a mere 18.00.
- Nasum Ahmed (Spinner)
Nasum Ahmed is the left-hand orthodox who has played seven ODIs for Bangladesh and has taken eight scalps. In those seven ODIs, Nasum has promised a lot. He could be a great backup to Shakib, especially taking into account how prone the latter is to injuries.
7. Tanzim Hasan Sakib
Tanzim Hasan Sakib recently impressed everyone after he got the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Tiak Varma on his ODI debut in the 2023 Asia Cup Super-Four match.
Probable Bangladesh ODI World Cup 2023 playing 11
A lot will depend on how these players perform in the Asia Cup. But considering the recent form and overall stats, this could be the playing 11 of Bangladesh for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023:
- Litton Das
- Tanzid Hasan Tamim
- Najmul Hossain Shanto
- Towhid Hridoy
- Shakib Al Hasan (captain)
- Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper)
- Mahmudullah Riyad
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz
- Taskin Ahmed
- Mustafizur Rahman
- Shoriful Islam
The Bangladesh ODI World Cup squad has everything when it comes to spin bowling, and interestingly, most of their spinners are all-rounders.
However, their batting looks a little bit shaky with no prominent names in the top order. Yes, Mushfiqur is there, but generally he comes in when damage has already occurred. So, it will be interesting to see how Bangladesh will tackle their top-order issue.
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