The ninth edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup gets underway in just over three weeks' time in the USA and West Indies.
A total of 20 teams are gearing up to compete in this major short-form cricket event. Most have already named their squads for the upcoming tournament, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is yet to announce theirs. Delays in finalising the selection are nothing new for the BCB.In line with ICC regulations, the BCB has already submitted a provisional squad, which can be tweaked up until the 25th of May.
Minhajul Abedin Nannu, the board's Chief Programme Coordinator and former chief selector, believes the BCB may be holding out for better options for the World Cup team, hence the delay.
Speaking to electronic media on Wednesday, Nannu said, "One thing's clear: we have a shortage of high-quality players. We need to build our squad within our limitations, and injuries are also a big concern. We have to wait for players' fitness reports – without the green light from the fitness trainer or medical board, it's impossible to finalise the team."
"Look at the Afghanistan team – around eight or nine of their top players compete in the IPL or other franchise leagues. We, on the other hand, have very few players who get opportunities to play in overseas franchise leagues," he added.
"All participating teams typically begin preparations three to four weeks ahead of the World Cup or any international tournament," remarked Nannu, a former national team captain.
Nannu also revealed plans, keeping the 2025 Champions Trophy in mind, to convert the upcoming BCL one-day competition into a T20 format, while the four-day matches will remain unchanged.
