No Mashrafe in ODI squad for Windies series

Former Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has not been included in the 24-man preliminary ODI squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies later this month.

Mashrafe, who was the longest-serving and most-successful ODI captain in Bangladesh's history was in good form with the ball too.

The 37-year-old pacer took a five-wicket haul in the recently concluded Bangabandhu T20 Cup.

Those selected will, from next week, take part in a training camp and play two practice matches on January 14 and 16, before the squad is trimmed down.

This will be Tamim Iqbal's first series since being made that captain after Mashrafe stepped down from the position after the last ODI assignment against Zimbabwe last year. 

Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan slots back into the team after serving his yearlong ban from international cricket imposed by the ICC.

U-19 World Cup winner Parvez Hossain Emon was impressive in the T20 Cup where he scored the fastest century by a Bangladeshi batsman in T20s and he has been selected in the squad.

Yasir Ali Chowdhury also showed consistent performances with the bat in the T20 Cup and he has also been rewarded with a spot in the squad.

Among the bowlers, fast bowler Hasan Mahmud has also gotten a call-up into the ODI unit after a string of good performances in the T20 Cup.

Another U-19 World Cup winner who impressed in the T20 Cup was fast bowler Shoriful Islam, and he has also been included. 

For the Test unit, Mominul Haque retains his position as captain with Shakib also being reintegrated into the squad. 

Hasan Mahmud gets a maiden Test call-up as well while Khaled Ahmed, who is back after a long injury layoff to stock up the fast bowling unit.

The squad also has wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan who last played a Test in 2017 against the same opposition in the Caribbean.

Mashrafe not in team management's plans

There have been growing calls from within the BCB and the team management for him to retire from international cricket. Bowling coach Ottis Gibson said in a recent interview that Mortaza was no longer in head coach Russell Domingo's plans for the ODI side.

"I think if Russell (Domingo) is now trying to build a team for the future, then I don't know what part Mashrafe (Mortaza) will have to play in that. Perhaps now is his time, with all that's going on in the world, to move on," Gibson had said. "He can find other ways to pass on his vast knowledge and experience to the young guys. I don't think he has to be on the field to be able to pass on what he has learned over his career. He needs to find other ways to pass on that message."

More recently, BCB president Nazmul Hassan held a similar view when asked about Mortaza's potential selection for the West Indies series.

"If his fitness is taken into consideration, he is unlikely to be selected," Hassan told the media last week. "But he loves taking on challenges. Whether he will play or retire, only he can decide. I haven't had any discussions with him about it, but he was apparently told that Lord's could be the best place. I think he is having indecision, which is a surprise because as long as he was the captain, his decision-making was clean and clear.

"Even if he is in the squad, I think it will be difficult for him to be in the playing XI. We are building towards the future, so don't really know how long we will get his service. There's no guarantee that if he get him in one series, whether we will get him in the next one. We also have to consider who we are going to drop to make room for Mashrafe, so these are not easy decisions."

Bangladesh's preliminary ODI squad

Tamim Iqbal, Taskin Ahmed, Shakib al Hasan, Al Amin Hossain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shoriful Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, Hasan Mahmud, Mohammad Mithun, Saifuddin, Liton Das, Mustafizur Rahman, Mahmudullah, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Afif Hossain, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar, Parvez Hossain Emon, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Mahadi Hasan, Mohammad Naim, Rubel Hossain

Bangladesh's preliminary Test squad

Momimul Haque (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Yasir Ali, Saif Hassan, Abu Jayed, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nurul Hasan, Shadman Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadot Hossain