Mortaza recalled for Asia Cup by B'desh

Dhaka: Mashrafe Mortaza has earned a recall and Tamim Iqbal demoted to a reserve member in Bangladesh’s 14-man squad for the Asia Cup which begins on Sunday in Mirpur.

The national selectors omitted four of the 15 players who last played in the home one-day series against Pakistan in December, while continuing to ignore Mohammad Ashraful. Apart from Mortaza, the selectors called up Nazimuddin, Jahurul Islam, Shahadat Hossain and Anamul Haque. Alok Kapali, Shahriar Nafees, Naeem Islam and Rubel Hossain were dropped, and Tamim and Farhad Reza named among the reserves for the Asia Cup.

Mortaza, 28, has not represented Bangladesh since April 2011. He has been recalled to the team after captaining the Dhaka Gladiators to the title of the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League, in which he took ten wickets from 11 matches at an average of 27.40 and economy rate of 6.85. An injury-prone player, Mortaza went through the tournament without any hitches.

Mortaza has not represented Bangladesh since April 2011, while Tamim is recovering from an injury.

Tamim played just two matches for the Chittagong Kings during the BPL, due to a groin injury.

The selectors have not named a captain or vice-captain for the Asia Cup, but said their names would be "declared shortly".

Bangladesh open their campaign against Pakistan at Dhaka's Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday as the tournament gets underway.

Bangladesh squad: Imrul Kayes, Nazimuddin, Jahurul Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Elias Sunny, Nazmul Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Shahadat Hossain, Anamul Haque.

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