Bangladesh face early selection questions ahead of UAE opener

Bangladesh will begin their UAE ODI tri-series campaign against Zimbabwe on October 17 with a number of selection decisions to settle, as captain Litton Das looks to find the right balance between experienced players and new options.

The 16-member squad includes the return of Litton as captain, with Towhid Hridoy named vice-captain. The side also features senior campaigners Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, while Hasan Mahmud returns to strengthen the pace attack.

One of the main points of interest is off-spinner Aliss Al Islam, who has received his maiden ODI call-up. Aliss made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka at the Asian Games, and the tri-series offers him an opportunity to push for a place in Bangladesh's 50-over plans. 

His inclusion gives the team another spin option, but whether he makes the playing XI will depend on the conditions and the combination Bangladesh choose. The squad also includes Rishad Hossain and Tanvir Islam, giving the selectors several options in the spin department.

Fast bowler Nahid Rana has been left out as he continues to recover from a side strain. His absence means Bangladesh will rely on the available pace resources, including Taskin, Mustafizur, Hasan and Shoriful Islam, to cover the new-ball and middle-overs duties.

The batting group includes Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat and wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan Sohan. Bangladesh's challenge will be to settle on a top order and middle-order combination capable of adapting to UAE conditions. 

The tri-series also features Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, with each team facing the other two once in the league stage. Bangladesh open against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi on October 17, meet Afghanistan on October 21 and will aim to qualify for the final on October 23. With the opening match approaching, the tournament will provide Bangladesh an important opportunity to test their ODI combinations and build momentum ahead of a busy international season.