Nurul Hasan Sohan has been recalled after almost three years, while Saif Hassan has also earned a place. On the other hand, opener Mohammad Naim, who had been part of the side in recent times, has been dropped.
Following the squad announcement yesterday, Chief Selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu addressed the media today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur to explain the decisions.
Despite being a consistent performer in domestic cricket, Nurul had struggled to find his way back into the national team. Consecutive 500-plus run seasons in the Dhaka Premier League, a century against New Zealand ‘A’, and runs in the recent Top End T20 series finally paved the way for his recall.
However, he has primarily been included as a backup to Jaker Ali.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have too many like-for-like replacements in that role. In terms of confidence and approach to cricket—especially for the No. 5 or 6 position—we felt he was our best option. Jaker Ali picked up an injury during the Sri Lanka series, and at this point, we believe Nurul is the right backup,” said Gazi Ashraf.
