Captaincy issue delays Tigers' Asia Cup squad announcement
As per the deadline, all participating nations would have to announce their Asia Cup team by August 8. However, with two days remaining before the deadline, chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu said they were waiting for the injury report of the players.
Injury to some of the crucial players and the declaration of the captain's name for the T20 format forced the Bangladesh team selection panel to delay the announcement of the team for the Asia Cup, starting on August 27.
The captaincy issue basically made things complicated. Board insiders said Test captain Shakib is the favourite to be appointed as captain in this format too but what creates the problem is that the BCB launched an investigation over his alleged involvement with a Betting Company.
If Shakib is found guilty, the board president Nazmul Hassan Papon said, they will take stern action against him as Betting is completely banned as per the law of Bangladesh and BCB too.
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Papon earlier said they have considered four players including Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad to appoint as the T20 captain before the Asia Cup.
Nurul Hasan Sohan, who led the side in the Zimbabwe T20 series and Liton Das are the other two names who are also in consideration of the board's policymakers. Both however got injured during the Zimbabwe series and are highly unlikely to play the Asia Cup.
As per the deadline, all participating nations would have to announce their Asia Cup team by August 8. However, with two days remaining before the deadline, chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu said they were waiting for the injury report of the players.
"How can we announce the team when some of the crucial players got injured? We have to get the update of those players before the announcement of the team," Abdein said yesterday.
"There is also the issue of the captain of T20 format. It's not our issue because the board will announce the name of the captain. Even though we have no headache over the issue but the captain is an important cog of the team since his opinion in forming the team is necessary. We have to see first who is appointed as captain."
The Asia Cup will be a T20 format this time to give the teams a better preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia.
