Photo: Collected
Off-spinner Alis Al Islam has been called up to the Bangladesh team as a replacement for Mohammad Saifuddin for the T20 format cricket of the 20th Asian Games.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) gave this information in a press release today.
All-rounder Saifuddin has been ruled out of the Asian Games with a right hamstring injury. He sustained the injury while bowling in practice last Saturday.
His injury was later detected in an MRI test.
Alis, 29, has not yet played any international match for Bangladesh. Although he got a place in the T20 squad for the series against Sri Lanka in 2024, he was ruled out because of injury.
Alis recently played two matches in List ‘A’ cricket against the ‘A’ team on the South Africa tour. One of them was abandoned, and in the other he bowled 10 overs and took 3 wickets for 35 runs.
Alis has taken 35 wickets in 19 matches in List ‘A’ cricket and 59 wickets in 58 matches in T20s.
The Bangladesh team will leave Dhaka for Japan tomorrow to take part in the Asian Games. The Tigers will play directly in the quarter-finals in this edition.
Bangladesh will begin their Asian Games campaign on 28 September. Their opponents in the quarter-final will be the champion team of ‘Group B’. Hong Kong, Oman and Malaysia are in this group.
Bangladesh won the bronze medal at the last Asian Games held in Hangzhou.
Bangladesh squad for the Asian Games: Litton Kumar Das (captain), Towhid Hridoy (vice-captain), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mosaddek Hossain, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Rishad Hossain, Sheikh Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud and Alis Al Islam.
