BCB : ICC T20 World Cup Squad

Bangladesh national cricket team

Bangladesh national cricket team hopes to qualify for the second round in the ICC World T20 Cricket that will begin on June 5 in England, reports UNB.

Team coach Jimmy Siddons and other team members expressed the high hope at a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) at Mirpur in the city Tuesday afternoon.

Bangladesh team will leave for England on May 23. Skipper Mohammad Ashraful and his deputy Mashrafe bin Mortaza, who are in South Africa for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), will join the team in England on May 24.

Coach Siddons said the team's preparation was satisfactory and they want to play in the super-eight stage of the World Cup after making a good start in the first round.

He said Bangladesh would prove to be a balanced team in the World Cup if the key players like Shakib, Mashrafe and Ashraful play to their best.

Replying to a question, Shakib said Ashraful and Mashrafe, currently out of the team for IPL duty, would get back their confidence playing the practice matches in England before the World Cup.

Prior to their World Cup engagement, Bangladesh will play five warm-up matches -- against New Zealand on May 26, Holland May 28, Scotland May 29, Australia May 30 and Sri Lanka on June 2.

Bangladesh squad: Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (vice captain), Tamim Iqbal, Zunaed Siddiqui, Roquibul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Kazi Shahadat Hossain Rajib, Syed Rasel, Mahmud Ullah, Rubel Hossain, Shamsur Rahman and Mohammad Mithun.

Standby: Mehrab Hosssain Jr., Imrul Kayes, Nazmul Hossain, Mahbubul Alam and Sohrawardi Shuvo.