The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has clarified its decision to omit cricketer Litton Das from the national squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Gazi Ashraf Hossain, Chairman of the BCB National Selection Panel, cited the talented batsman's prolonged dip in form as the reason behind the decision.
He said Litton struggled to perform in recent one-day internationals (ODIs), failing to score a half-century in his last 13 innings.
"The conditions in St Kitts was tailormade for someone of Litton's undoubted quality. But unfortunately, he could not score runs there on high-scoring pitches and the dip in form has continued. That did not give us the confidence to select him for the Champions Trophy but we will give him all the support to come back even stronger. We have a lot of crickets scheduled this year and we expect him to play a big part in that," said Gazi Ashraf.
"That did not give us the confidence to select him for the Champions Trophy but we will give him all the support to come back even stronger. We have a lot of crickets scheduled this year and we expect him to play a big part in that," he said.
Despite the setback, he said, Litton seems to be taking the omission positively. The right-handed batsman showcased his potential by smashing the fastest hundred by a Bangladeshi batsman during a BPL match for Dhaka Capitals against Durdanto Rajshahi.
Litton, meanwhile, was taking the omission from the National team in his strides.
After hitting the fastest hundred by a Bangladeshi batsman in today's BPL match against Durdanto Rajshahi the Dhaka Capitals opener said, "My job is to find ways to score runs irrespective of whether I am playing for the Bangladesh side or in any domestic competition. I'll do my preparations and keep doing the work that I feel will bring me success and help me contribute to the team."
The BCB has emphasised that Litton remains an integral part of its plans for the future. With a packed cricketing calendar ahead, the 29-year-old will have ample opportunities to regain his form and return to the national setup.
The ICC Champions Trophy is set to commence next month, and Bangladesh will be hoping their selected squad can deliver strong performances on the international stage.
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