The series could not be much more condensed - five matches played across seven days with two sets of back-to-back matches. COURTESY
Another opportunity waits for these two teams to work on plans and players to press for selection ahead of the T20 World Cup.
The series could not be much more condensed - five matches played across seven days with two sets of back-to-back matches - but it has taken considerable work and negotiation to get this tour on the road. It will be the first time Bangladesh and Australia have met in bilateral T20Is - their previous four matches have all come in the T20 World Cup. Australia are currently 4-0 up but it would be no surprise to see that record slip over in the coming days with the patched-up nature of their batting line-up, further weakened from the side that lost 4-1 in the West Indies by the absence of Aaron Finch. In Finch's absence they will be led by Matthew Wade.
The bowling attack remains potent, but with five matches very quickly, it remains to be seen how many of them - including the likes of Mitchell Starc - play. There is disgruntlement in the Bangladesh camp that they won't be able to call on the experience of Mushfiqur Rahim after he was unable to comply with the strict ten-day bubble requirements agreed by the boards to allow this series to go ahead. Bangladesh are coming off a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe which was secured by their second-highest successful chase. As ever, Shakib Al Hasan will be in front and centre for them and they will also lean on the experience of Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah with the bat and hope to have Mustafizur Rahman back from injury during the series.
There were no surprises as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officially announced a 17-member squad for their upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia, scheduled to begin on August 3. A severely injury-hit Bangladesh will be missing key players like Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim and young leg-spinner Aminul Islam -- all of whom were part of the Tigers' recent Zimbabwe T20I series but had to leave the bio-secure bubble due to injuries and personal tragedies. BCB had earlier asked the likes of Rubel Hossain, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain and Mohammad Mithun to stay back in Zimbabwe with the team to make up for the missing players in the T20I squad for the Australia series. The series will take place between August 3 to 9 with all the matches scheduled to be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah Riyad, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim Sheikh, Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Sheikh Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain and Rubel Hossain.
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