Mashrafe Mortaza to lead Bangladesh in World Cup

Rookie batsman Soumya Sarkar and fast bowler Taskin Ahmed make the cut.

Mashrafe Mortaza will lead Bangladesh in the 2015 ICC cricket World Cup. File photo

Veteran speedster Mahsrafe Mortaza will lead a 15-member Bangladesh squad in the ICC World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.

The team’s No 1 ranked cricketer Shakib al Hasan will be Mortaza’s deputy while the squad has rookie batsman Soumya Sarkar and fast bowler Taskin Ahmed.

Mortaza was made the captain of the limited overs side, after the selectors removed Mushfiqur Rahim, before the series against Zimbabwe. Although it was a one-off assignment, Bangladesh thrashed Zimbabwe 5—0 and hence the selectors have decided to persist with the 31-year-old veteran of 36 Tests and 144 ODIs.

With senior opener Tamim Iqbal, former captain and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and seasoned batsman Mahmudullah also in the squad, it will be a fairly strong Bangladesh squad that will take on Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Scotland and Afghanistan in their group A league matches.

Off spinner Sohag Gazi has not been picked as he his action has still not been cleared.

Squad:

Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Taskin Ahmed, Al—Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taijul Islam.