Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has selected Mohammad Ashraful for its High Performance (HP) squad, a step closer to his possible return to the national team.
Ashraful will play in the one-off four-day match at Khulna’s Sheikh Abu Nasser Stadium from Sept 19 to 22.
Players, who perform well in the HP squad, eventually end playing in the national squad after going through several other steps, including the playing in the A team.
This was the first call for the 34-year-old under BCB’s supervision after completing a five-year ban on playing international cricket that ended on Aug 13 this year.
Ashraful was banned on charges of match-fixing and spot-fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League’s 2013 edition.
The cricket regulator cleared him for domestic tournaments in August 2016.
Ashraful left for Khulna on Monday after reporting at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
A total of 26 players, equally split in two teams, will play in the List ‘A’ match where former Bangladesh national side captain Ashraful will play for HP Red Team against HP Green Team.
HP Squads:
HP Red Team: Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarker, Mohammad Ashraful, Afif Hossain, Al-Amin, Mehedi Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Marshal Ayub, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Abu Jayed, Tanbir Haider, Taskin Ahmed and Sanjamul Islam.
HP Green Team: Imrul Kayes, Mizanur Rahman, Zakir Hasan, Fazle Mahamud, Quazi Nurul Hasan, Shadman Islam, Taijul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Mahidul Islam Bhuiyan, Kamrul Islam R, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Jubair Hossain Likhon and Iftekhar Sajjad.