Bangladesh announce HP T20 squad for Malaysia series

The Malaysia national cricket team will arrive in Bangladesh on Wednesday to play a series comprising two Twenty20 Internationals and three 50-over matches.

However, instead of the senior national side, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has named its High Performance (HP) team for the series.

On Tuesday, the BCB announced a 15-member squad for the two T20 matches.

The HP side, led by SM Meherob Hasan, includes five players with international experience.

The most experienced member of the squad is Sabbir Rahman, who has represented Bangladesh in 48 T20 Internationals, in addition to playing Tests and One-Day Internationals.

The other players with senior international experience are Shamim Hossain, Mrityunjoy Chowdhury, Abdul Gaffar, Abu Hider, and Rakibul Hasan.

Among the younger prospects, aggressive batters Jisan Alam and Jawad Abrar have also earned places in the squad.

Bangladesh and Malaysia have met only once in an official T20 international, during the 2023 Asian Games, where Bangladesh secured a narrow two-run victory. Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan, who featured in that match, have again been included in the HP squad.

The two T20 matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on 8 and 10 August.

The three 50-over matches will follow on 12, 14 and 16 August at the Bashundhara Sports Complex, which will host an overseas team for the first time.

Bangladesh HP T20 squad: SM Meherob Hasan (captain), Jisan Alam, Jawad Abrar, Sabbir Rahman, Ariful Islam, Shamim Hossain, Mohammad Rubel, Mrityunjoy Chowdhury, Abdul Gaffar, Abu Hider, Swadhin Islam, Rakibul Hasan, Pritom Kumar, Mahfuzur Rahman and Iqbal Hossain.