Bangladesh's
wicket-keeper batter, Litton Das, will be absent from the upcoming 2023 Asia
Cup due to a viral fever. Despite not traveling with the squad initially, the
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) delayed a final decision on his participation to
assess his recovery. As Bangladesh prepares to face Sri Lanka on August 31 at
the Pallekele International Stadium for their first match of the tournament,
the team has chosen to secure a replacement.
Anamul Haque, an
opening batter, has been selected to step in for Litton. Bangladesh is already
missing Tamim Iqbal for the event, and Tanzid Tamim is an additional option in
the top order.
Jalal Yunus, the
Chairman of BCB's Cricket Operations Committee, previously stated that a
replacement would be sought if Litton's condition didn't improve. He informed
the Daily Star on August 27: "Liton is suffering from fever. He tested
negative for Dengue. So if he recovers early, he will take the next flight to
Sri Lanka. But if he does not recover, then we may have to think about a
replacement."
Explaining the
decision to bring in Haque as the replacement player, Minhajul Abedin, Chairman
of BCB’s National Selection Panel, mentioned, "He (Anamul) has been in the
runs in domestic cricket, and we have continued to monitor him in the
Bangladesh Tigers programme. He was always in our consideration. Due to
Litton’s unavailability, we needed a top-order batter who could keep wicket,
and Anamul got the nod."
Haque boasts a record
of 41 ODIs, amassing 1254 runs with an average of 30.54 and a strike rate of
74.16. His most recent appearance for Bangladesh was in December 2022 during
the third ODI against India in Chattogram.
Bangladesh's
updated squad for the 2023 Asia Cup, prompted by Litton Das' ailment, includes
the following players:
·
Shakib
Al Hasan (Captain)
·
Najmul
Hossain Shanto
·
Tawhid
Hridoy
·
Mushfiqur
Rahim
·
Afif
Hossain
·
Mehidy
Hasan Miraz
·
Taskin
Ahmed
·
Hasan
Mahmud
·
Mustafizur
Rahman
·
Shoriful
Islam
·
Nasum
Ahmed
·
Mahedi
Hasan
·
Mohammad
Naim
·
Shamim
Hossain
·
Tanzid
Hasan Tamim
·
Tanzim
Hasan Sakib
·
Anamul
Haque Bijoy
The 2023 Asia Cup
is scheduled to commence with a match between Pakistan and Nepal on August 30
at the Multan Cricket Stadium.