Dhaka: Bangladesh dropped as many as five players for the first two matches of the tri-nation T20I series comprising Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan and pace bowler Rubel Hossain are the two big names who have been dropped from the squad.
Opening batter Tamim Iqbal was not included as he asked for a break from international cricket.
All-rounder Ariful Haque, pace bowler Abu Hider, spinner Nazmul Islam and batsman Mohammad Mithun were also left out from Bangladesh’s last Twenty20 squad that played the West Indies in December 2018.
Uncapped Yeasin Arafat gets T20I call-up for tri-nation series. Hasan had a poor outing in the ODI series in Sri Lanka, which Bangladesh lost 0-3. In the three matches he played in that series, Hasan could scalp only two wickets.Meanwhile, Young fast bowler Yeasin Arafat and left-arm spinner Taijul Islam received their first T20I call-ups. Batsmen Sabbir Rahman and Mosaddek Hossain also received a call-up as Bangladesh prepare to begin the series against Zimbabwe in Dhaka’s Sher-e Bangla National Stadium on ThursdayThe tri-series will begin with the opening match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe on Friday in Mirpur.Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Litton Kumer Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmud Ullah, Afif Hossain, Musaddek Hossain Saikat, Shabbir Rahaman, Taijul Islam, Sheikh Mehedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Yasin Arafat Mishu.
