Rubel Hossain dropped as Bangladesh name Asia Cup, World T20 probables

Bangladesh have ignored pace bowler Rubel Hossain for the preliminary squad for the Asia Cup and the World Twenty20. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 25-man provisional squad on Thursday. All-rounder Ariful Haque is the new face in the mix, reports bdnews24.com. The team will be in Khulna on Saturday before attending practice sessions in Chittagong on February 7 in their two-phase preparations.

Rubel has been out of international action, having been sidelined with an injury since last July. He sustained another injury during Bangladesh A's tour of India last September. He played six matches for the Sylhet Superstars in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in November-December last year. But the fast bowler was injured again and has had no play time since then.

Although Rubel is not on the list, BCB selector Habibul Bashar did not completely write off the possibility of him returning to the fold for World T20. "This team will play several warm-up matches. Rubel has not been included because there is no possibility of him bowling in them," Bashar said.

If Rubel recovers by the time BCB announces the final World T20 squad, he might be called up. Anamul Haque, too, was left out following a disappointing show for the Chittagong Vikings in BPL.

The 23-year-old Ariful was part of Bangladesh's Under-19 and Under-23 teams.

The showcase event for the shortest format of the game will begin on March 8 in India. Before that, the first-ever T20 Asia Cup will commence in Bangladesh on February 24.

Provisional 25-man squad: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Litton Kumar Das, Mosaddek Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Nurul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, Ariful Haque, Arafat Sunny, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Haider Rony, Al-Amin Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Mohammad Shahid , Abul Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Muktar Ali.