Mehidy Hasan Miraz will lead the side, while Najmul Hossain Shanto has been named vice-captain. Notably, there have been no changes from the squad that featured in the recent Pakistan series.
New Zealand are set to tour Bangladesh without several of their top players due to commitments in the Indian Premier League (IPL), opting instead to experiment with a relatively inexperienced or ‘A’ team.
However, Bangladesh are not willing to take a similar approach. With a focus on securing direct qualification for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, the Tigers are aiming to collect maximum points from their home series. Chief selector Habibul Bashar has therefore opted to retain a full-strength squad in his first selection.
Considering the importance of the series, Bangladeshi players currently participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) are being recalled.
Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana, and Rishad Hossain are scheduled to return home on April 13.
Mustafizur is expected to rejoin his PSL franchise after the conclusion of the ODI series. They will bolster a pace attack that already includes Taskin Ahmed.
Despite being under medical observation regarding his fitness, Towhid Hridoy has been included in the squad.
The batting lineup also features Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar, Litton Kumar Das, Afif Hossain, and Mahidul Islam Ankon. Head coach Phil Simmons is reportedly planning to prepare the team for the 2027 World Cup by encouraging them to play on more sporting wickets from now on.
Bangladesh squad for the first two ODIs:
Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Najmul Hossain Shanto (vice-captain), Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Afif Hossain, Mahidul Islam Bhuiyan (Ankon), Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Nahid Rana.
