Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan has been under fire recently because of the perception that it was the BCB boss who forced star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to play in the Asia Cup despite the player saying that he would need surgery on an injured left little finger.

Mahmudullah Riyad will lead the Tigers in the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe from November 3 in Sylhet in the absence of the injured Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan confirmed to The Daily Star yesterday.

The cricket World Cup trophy is set to land in Bangladesh tomorrow morning for a four-day visit.

Soumya Sarker got an emergency call-up to join the team in Dubai during last month's Asia Cup but did not find a place in the squad for the upcoming home series against Zimbabwe as it is believed that he would need to score runs consistently in domestic cricket to warrant a place. The left-hander started to show positive signs as the Khulna batsman scored 76 against Rangpur on the first day of the Tier-1 National Cricket League match yesterday after hitting a hundred against Rajshahi in the first round.

With two of the most experienced Bangladesh players Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal absent due to injury, the upcoming Zimbabwe series at home will be a platform for youngsters to step up and take responsibility.

Fazle Rabbi will be asked to bolster Bangladesh with his abilities and the all-rounder reiterated he will look to do what he knows best and it was not his job to replace the world’s best all-rounder.

Bangladesh’s ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan returned to Dhaka today following his treatment and diagnosis in Australia and the Test and T20 captain was hopeful that it might be possible to get back to the playing field within a month since there was no possibility of undergoing a surgery within 6-12 months and that the best option would be to able to play cricket without another surgery.

The 20th National Cricket League is set to resume when the third round begins across the four venues today. In Tier-1, Khulna will host defending champions Rangpur at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna while Barishal will face off against Rajshahi at the Barishal Divisional Stadium.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) once again felt the need for a psychologist for cricketers and decided to call in sports psychologist Ali Azhar Khan, who will conduct a few sessions with the players ahead of the Zimbabwe series that starts with the first ODI in Mirpur next Sunday.

The Zimbabwe series will mark the first time that, since making his ODI debut in 2014, wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Mithun will play consecutive series for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s Asia Cup campaign was riddled by injuries to key figures like Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim. The Tigers lost opener Tamim Iqbal as early as the opening match and then Mushfiqur Rahim was rested for Afghanistan match to recuperate from a rib area pain. Before the vital virtual semifinal against Pakistan, ace all-rounder Shakib had to be excluded from the lineup as he was unable to even grip a bat.

Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is expected to return to Bangladesh from Australia tomorrow after treatment for his left hand's injured little finger.

West Indies coach Stuart Law said yesterday that his batsmen being tested against quality Indian spinners is ideal preparation for their upcoming tour of Bangladesh.

An elated Fazle Rabbi, who earned a maiden call-up on Thursday to Bangladesh's squad for the Zimbabwe ODIs, said that he had at one stage given up hope of getting the treasured call. That is perhaps because not so long ago players past the age of 24 or 25 were thought to have crossed the stage beyond which an international career was unlikely.

Fazle Rabbi was sitting in Mawa Ghat yesterday, waiting for the after-effects of cyclone Titli to abate and allow him passage to Barishal when another treasured door opened for the first time for the batsman who has been plying his trade in domestic cricket for the last 14 years.

Cyclone Titli weakened after crossing the Odisha coast in India and did not have much effect but triggered rainfall across the country, which resulted in the washout of the fourth and last day's play of the National Cricket League at all four venues yesterday.

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) governing council shifted the date for the player draft of the sixth edition of the BPL to October 28 from October 25.

The Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team will leave for Sri Lanka tomorrow to play two four-day matches and five one-dayers against the hosts.

Faced with the absence of injured stalwarts Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, the national selectors have opted to recall a promising youngster and hand a maiden call-up to a domestic journeyman for the upcoming three-ODI home series against Zimbabwe.

Despite cyclone 'Titli' causing rain to play foul in all four games on the third day of the second round of the National Cricket Leagu, Liton Das shone bright in Rajshahi as the right-hander smashed the fastest double hundred in Bangladesh first-class cricket for Rangpur yesterday.