|| CF Correspondent ||

Bangladesh selection panel is spending some busy time as they are preparing the squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka as they might have to play the three-match one-day international series without some of their key members.

Bangladesh opener Liton Kumar Das has submitted a letter to BCB on Thursday citing that he is unavailable for the tri-nation as he is expected to get married on July 28.

According to the letter that he submitted to the BCB chief executive he urged the board not to consider him till August 5 as he will need that time to complete all his marriage formalities, though BCB is yet to take a decision in this regard.

BCB is expected to name the preliminary squad for the series that they have formed recently as they are yet not clear about the availability of some of their leading cricketers that includes Shakib al Hasan as well.

A BCB source confirmed that Shakib has told informally that he doesn’t want to play in this series. He could return from London on July 27.  After that, Shakib is expected to perform the ‘Holy Hajj’.

In their absence, there may not be a big change in the squad. A source said on July 11 that, Yasir Ali Rabbi and left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam Apu may come into the squad. Rabbi was in the Ireland Tri-series but didn’t play any match. He is currently playing in the Mini Ranji trophy in Karnataka, India for the BCB XI. 

Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam Apu may be included in the squad as a replacement for Shakib. Apu last played his last ODI in the Asia Cup last year. He is out of the game from the Dhaka Premier League this year.

Selectors are also thinking about left-arm spinner Taijul Islam. Apu is out of the game for a long time, so the inclusion of Taijul Islam can’t be thrown away.  

On the other side, in the absence of Liton Das selectors don’t want to include a third opener in this three-match ODI series. They want to keep trust over Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar. That’s why Imrul Kayes or Anamul Haque Bijoy may not be considered in this series too.

If Shakib doesn’t bat at the number three position, Mohammad Mithun can be given the opportunity to bat at number three position.

Mithun played three matches in the World Cup. He didn’t get any big score in the middle order that’s way Liton Das came into the eleven. In the ODI team, Mithun had an established place. But his World Cup performance made that position a bit shaky. For this, the Sri Lanka tour can be a big opportunity to prove himself once again.     

After a failed World Cup mission the national team players are in rest. In the midst of all these, big changes have occurred in the coaching panel of the Bangladesh team. Head coach Steve Rhodes parted ways with BCB while they are not renewing the contract with the bowling coach Courtney Walsh too. Physio Thihan Chandramohan is also on this list.

Bangladesh coaching panel may be changing but the Sri Lanka tour is knocking at the door. Bangladesh team will fly to Sri Lanka on July 20 to play three ODI’s in Colombo. Before this tour, finding a head coach will be hard for BCB. BCB director and former Captain Khaled Mahmud Sujon may be appointed as in charge coach of Bangladesh for the Sri Lanka tour.