Litton to lead Bangladesh in UAE Tri-Nation ODI tournament

Litton Kumer Das will lead Bangladesh in the Afghanistan-Bangladesh-Zimbabwe tri-nation ODI tournament in the United Arab Emirates, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announcing a 16-member squad on Saturday.

Tawhid Hridoy has been named vice-captain of the side, which combines established international players with options across the batting and bowling departments.

The squad includes Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Musaddek Hossain Saikat, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam and Aliss Al Islam.

Bangladesh will open their campaign against Zimbabwe on October 17 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Zimbabwe will then face Afghanistan at the same venue on October 19. The Tigers will meet Afghanistan in their second match on October 21 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The final is scheduled for October 23, also in Sharjah.

All matches are scheduled to start at 3:30pm Bangladesh Standard Time, according to the BCB itinerary.

The short tournament will provide Bangladesh with an opportunity to test their combination against two international opponents in UAE conditions. 

With Litton entrusted with the captaincy and Hridoy serving as his deputy, the squad will look to make a strong start against Zimbabwe before facing Afghanistan.

The BCB announcement did not specify any additional details about the tournament format or the criteria for qualification for the final.