Dhaka: Bangladesh dealt a significant blow on the opening day of the Asia Cup, as a star wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das has been ruled out for the entire duration of the tournament.
Litton has been ruled out of the 2023 Asia Cup after he was unable to recover from a viral fever. He did not travel to Sri Lanka for Bangladesh's opening match in Pallekele.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board's National Selection Panel has named 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Anamul Haque Bijoy as his replacement, who is due to join the squad in Sri Lanka later on Wednesday.
Bijoy has represented Bangladesh in 44 ODIs and has accumulated 1254 runs which includes three centuries. He last made an ODI appearance in December last year in a home series against India.
The Chairman of the National Selection Panel, Minhajul Abedin, commented on replacing Das with a like-to-like replacement, “He (Anamul) has been in the runs in domestic cricket and we have continued to monitor him in the Bangladesh Tigers programme. He was always in our consideration."
“Due to Litton’s unavailability, we needed a top-order batter who could keep wicket and Anamul got the nod,” Abedin said.
Bangladesh begin their Asia Cup campaign against tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka on August 31, in Pallekele.
Updated Bangladesh squad: Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Naim Sheikh, Shamim Hossain, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Anamul Haque Bijoy. (UNI)