Bangladesh's opening batsman, Litton Das, has been ruled out of the ACC Asia Cup 2023 due to an unfortunate bout of viral fever. His absence has prompted a swift reshuffle in the Bangladesh squad, with Anamul Haque Bijoy stepping in as his replacement.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the development on Wednesday morning (August 30, 2023).
The opener's inability to travel to Sri Lanka with the Tigers’ Asia Cup squad and his ongoing struggle to overcome the lingering fever have ultimately led to his withdrawal from the much-awaited competition.
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The National Selection Panel of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has called upon Anamul, a 30-year-old right-handed batter, to fill the void left by Litton.
An experienced campaigner, Anamul boasts an impressive track record, having featured in 44 ODIs and accumulating 1254 runs, including three centuries. His latest appearance in an ODI match for Bangladesh dates back to December last year when he faced India on the field.
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Minhajul Abedin, Chairman of BCB’s National Selection Panel, shared insights into the thought process behind Anamul’s selection. "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," Minhajul remarked.
Minhajul went on to explain, "Due to Litton’s unavailability, we needed a top-order batter who could keep wicket, and Anamul got the nod."
Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka on August 31 in their opening Asia Cup match in Kandy. Following that, they will travel to Pakistan to play their second Asia Cup match against Afghanistan.
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Bangladesh squad for 2023 Asia Cup:
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