The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Monday announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz named as the new captain.

After a long absence, opener Naim Sheikh and middle-order batsman Shamim Hossain Patowary have returned to the squad. Litton Das has also made a comeback to the ODI team after recovering from injury. However, wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan Sohan, who had been under discussion, has not been included.

Naim Sheikh last played an ODI in the 2023 series against Sri Lanka. The left-handed opener returns after nearly two years, having previously scored a total of 95 runs in 8 ODIs. He earned his place back through impressive form, scoring 618 runs in 11 matches in the recent Dhaka Premier League. His inclusion comes at the expense of Soumya Sarkar.

Shamim Hossain Patowary’s inclusion has come as a surprise. He, too, had been out of the ODI side for nearly two years, and in his 4 ODIs, he has scored only 16 runs. Although he recently returned to the T20I squad, he managed just 4, 7, and 8 runs in three innings against Pakistan in Lahore. His selection over in-form domestic performer Nurul Hasan Sohan has raised eyebrows.

New faces Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanvir Islam have also been included. Both have represented Bangladesh in T20 internationals but are yet to make their ODI debuts.

Bangladesh ODI Squad:

Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Naim Sheikh, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain Patowary, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud.