Rakib-Sakib called back for U-19 team

Left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan and right-arm pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib have been called up for the Under-19 team as they are eligible to play one more youth World Cup, said a Bangladesh Cricket Board official.

AEM Kawser, game development manager at the BCB, told The Business Post that they are considering Rakib and Sakib, who were part of the U-19 World Cup-winning team in 2020, for one more World Cup as they both are eligible.

“The cut-off date for the 2022 U-19 World Cup is September 2 2002. Those born on or after this date will be eligible to play in the next World Cup. As Rakib and Sakib both played some matches in the last edition, it will be a big boost for us,” said Kawser.

Rakib and Sakib both played in the National Cricket League, Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, and other domestic tournaments. They also took part in the training sessions under the High-Performance squad.

Bangladesh U-19 team recently lost all five matches against the Sri Lanka U-19 team, but Kawser said that those results did not have any impact regarding the decision.

“Our present batch of cricketers are not bad; they might lose the matches against Sri Lanka, but they lost by very little margins due to their inexperience. They are also good, but we thought that it is better to add some players with experience in the squad,” he said.

Bangladesh U-19 team will travel to Kolkata on November 23, where they will take part in a tri-series where the other two teams will be two U-19 teams from India. The top two teams will play in the final.

To take part in the tournament, the Bangladesh under-19 team are currently training in Khulna.