Saleh to lead BCB XI in tour game

Bangladesh's selectors have included 12 of the 24 probables for the New Zealand series in the Bangladesh Cricket Board XI squad to play the visitors in a practice game on Tuesday. The match will now be held at the Narayanganj Osmani Stadium in Fatullah because the original venue, the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Prothisthan, is waterlogged.

The team will be led by Rajin Saleh, who has not played an ODI for Bangladesh in over two years. Junaid Siddique, who opened the batting for Bangladesh in the recent ODIs against Australia, has been included. Siddique' poor ODI record - he averages 7.75 in eight games - and the exit of Shahriar Nafees to the ICL means Imrul Kayes and Shamsur Rahman, the two openers for the Academy side on the recent tour to Sri Lanka, could stake a claim for a spot in the national side. Tushar Imran and Nafees Iqbal, elder brother of current international Tamim, also have an opportunity to push for their return to a batting line-up weakened by the exit of Aftab Ahmed and Alok Kapali.

Left-arm medium-pacer Syed Rasel, Nazmul Hossain and Dolar Mahmud form the pace attack, with Enamul Haque jnr as the specialist spinner. Saghir Hossain will be the team's wicketkeeper. Bangladesh will announce their team for the three-ODI series a day before the tour game.

The match is New Zealand's sole practice game before the ODIs; the first is on October 9.

BCB XI squad: Junaid Siddique, Imrul Kayes, Shamsur Rahman, Rajin Saleh (capt), Nafees Iqbal, Tushar Imran, Mehrab Hossain jnr, Saghir Hossain (wk), Syed Rasel, Nazmul Hossain, Dolar Mahmud, Enamul Haque jnr.