On the day Zimbabwe ‘A’ team arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the High Performance (HP) squad, naming two separate squads for a three-match ODI series. The selection panel said the decision was made with the aim of widening the player pool and providing opportunities to as many cricketers as possible.
The squads include Aliss al Islam and Rohanat Doullah Borson, both of whom have returned to competitive cricket after long injury layoffs through the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. HP team will be led by Zakir Hasan for the three-match series against Zimbabwe ‘A’.
Aliss al Islam returned to competitive cricket in February via the ODOMMO Bangladesh T20 Cup after injury in the 2025 BPL final. He had not played since that tournament until the start of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.
Meanwhile, Borson missed the entire previous domestic season after an injury following the 2024 DPL and has now returned after nearly two years.
Both have made an immediate impact on their comebacks. Aliss, playing for Prime Bank in the DPL, has taken 22 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 12. Borson has picked up 10 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 15.8.
Alongside them, Zakir Hasan, Shahadat Hossain and Yasir Ali Chowdhury have also earned HP call-ups after strong performances in the ongoing DPL. All three have international experience. The squad also includes two more national team players Khaled Ahmed and Jaker Ali, taking the number of capped players in the HP setup to five.
A key feature of the announcement is the split into two squads for the three-match series. The first two ODIs will be played on June 8 and 10 at Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogura, while the third match will be held on June 13 at Rajshahi Divisional Stadium.
Players named in the first two-match squad, including Iftekhar Hossain Ifti, Akbar Ali, Mushfik Hasan, Aliss and Rakibul Hasan, will not feature in the third match. They will be replaced in Rajshahi by Ashikur Rahman Shibli, Jaker Ali, Robiul Haque, Abu Hashem and Moin Khan.
When asked about the reasoning behind two separate squads for a three-match series, selector Nadif Chowdhury said the decision was made to assess a larger pool of players.
First two-match squad:
Zakir Hasan, Shahadat Hossain, Amite Hasan, Iftekhar Hossain Ifti, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Akbar Ali, Samiun Bashir Ratul, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, Chowdhury Rezwan, Khaled Ahmed, Mushfik Hasan, Aliss al Islam, Rohanat Doullah Borson and Rakibul Hasan.
Third-match squad:
Zakir Hasan, Shahadat Hossain, Amite Hasan, Ashikur Rahman Shibli, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Jaker Ali, Samiun Bashir Ratul, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, Chowdhury Rezwan, Robiul Haque, Abu Hashem, Moin Khan, Rohanat Doullah Borson and Khaled Ahmed.
