Bangladesh has announced its squad for the first three T20Is of the five-match series against Zimbabwe, with Mohammad Saifuddin making a comeback. The squad also includes left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam, allrounder Afif Hossain, and opening batters Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain.
Saifuddin, who last played T20Is for Bangladesh in October 2022, has recovered from a back injury that sidelined him for several months. He impressed during the recent Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), taking 15 wickets in nine matches for Fortune Barishal, who won their maiden BPL title.
Tanzid, a left-handed opener, has earned his maiden T20I call-up after playing 15 ODIs since his debut last year. He had a decent BPL campaign but was not part of the T20Is against Sri Lanka last month.
Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan are notable absentees from the squad for the first three matches. Shakib is expected to return to Dhaka on April 30 and may play a Dhaka Premier League match before joining the squad for the remaining two matches. Mustafizur is set to arrive on May 2 after his IPL stint and will undergo a fitness assessment before being considered for the final two T20Is in Dhaka.
Anamul Haque, Taijul Islam, and Mohammad Naim have been left out from the squad that played T20Is against Sri Lanka, while Soumya Sarkar is still recovering from a knee injury.
The first three T20Is will be played in Chattogram on May 3, 5, and 7, before the action moves to Dhaka for the last two games on May 10 and 12.
