Bangladesh Retains Faith in T20 World Cup Squad Despite Series Loss

Bangladesh's chief selector, Gazi Ashraf Hossain, has expressed confidence in the 15-member squad selected for the upcoming T20 World Cup, despite their recent series loss to the United States. The team has been finalized ahead of the ICC's May 25 deadline for submitting final squads.

After consulting with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, Hossain stated, "We are hoping they do well in the T20 World Cup. We are keeping faith in the existing squad." He acknowledged the team's disappointing start to the tour but emphasized the need to move forward.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has also called up 21 players for the Bangladesh Tigers' training camp from May 26. Six of these players are designated as T20 World Cup reserves, including Mohammad Saifuddin, who has opted out for the first two weeks due to a family emergency.

Hossain explained that the camp aims to prepare players for white-ball cricket and provide replacements in case of emergencies. He highlighted the importance of having specialists for opening batting, stating that "facing the new ball is a challenge everywhere."

Regarding the team's opening batting combination, Hossain expressed confidence in finding suitable options from those who performed well in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He also provided an update on Taskin Ahmed's recovery from a side strain, indicating that he could resume full training by June 5.

Bangladesh's T20 World Cup campaign begins on June 7 against Sri Lanka in Dallas. They will also face South Africa, Netherlands, and Nepal in the group stage. Prior to the main tournament, they will play warm-up matches against the United States and India.

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