At 34, a point when many professional cricketers in Bangladesh begin considering retirement, veteran batter Sabbir Rahman continues to harbour ambitions of a national team comeback. His persistent efforts have paid off with an unexpected selection: a place in the preliminary squad for the upcoming Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
Sabbir first announced himself on the big stage during the 2016 Asia Cup, earning the Player of the Tournament award at just 24 years old. Exactly a decade after that breakout tournament, he finds himself called up to an Asia Cup designed primarily to showcase upcoming talent, placing him alongside and against younger players from across the continent.
His inclusion is part of a broader selection strategy by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Rather than fielding an entirely youth-focused squad, the board has assembled a lineup packed with national team experience. In fact, the preliminary list contains enough capped international players to field an entire starting eleven.
The squad features opening batter Naim Sheikh, who brings nearly six years of international experience, alongside seam-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin, a key member of Bangladesh’s 2019 World Cup campaign. Other notable capped players include Parvez Hossain Emon, Test regulars Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, and Zakir Hasan, alongside leg-spinner Aminul Islam Biplob, left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan, and pacer Ripon Mondol.
Only seven players in the preliminary squad have yet to make their senior international debuts for Bangladesh: Iftakhar Hossain Ifti, Irfan Sukkur, Samiun Basheer Ratul, Mohammad Rubel, Iqbal Hossain Emon, SM Meherob, and Chowdhury Mohammad Vizwan.
The 50-over tournament is scheduled to take place in Qatar from 19 to 29 November. Bangladesh have been drawn in Group A, alongside familiar Asian rivals Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, with Hong Kong completing the pool. Group B features traditional rivals India and Pakistan, joined by the United Arab Emirates and Nepal.
Bangladesh Preliminary Squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup:
Sabbir Rahman, Afif Hossain, Naim Sheikh, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Zakir Hasan, Aminul Islam Biplob, Ripon Mondol, Rakibul Hasan, Iftakhar Hossain Ifti, Irfan Sukkur, Samiun Basheer Ratul, Mohammad Rubel, Iqbal Hossain Emon, SM Meherob, and Chowdhury Mohammad Vizwan.
