Tamim's Preferred XI Against Sri Lanka Lacks a Wicketkeeper

Bangladesh will kick off their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka early on Saturday morning (June 8). Ahead of the match, former ODI captain Tamim Iqbal appeared on Cricinfo's "Time Out" show to select his preferred XI, notably excluding a wicketkeeper.

The ninth T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by the West Indies and the United States, began on June 2. Despite multiple teams having played two matches already, Bangladesh has yet to start their journey. That wait will end on Saturday at 6:30 AM when they face Sri Lanka.

On the "Time Out" show, Tamim and former Sri Lankan all-rounder Farveez Maharoof discussed the recent form and strengths of both teams with host Yash Jha. When asked to pick his ideal Bangladesh XI, Tamim chose three pacers: Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib, the latter replacing the injured Shoriful Islam.

For spinners, Tamim selected Shakib Al Hasan, Sheikh Mahedi Hasan, and Rishad Hossain. Among the batters, Tamim surprisingly did not include Liton Das, suggesting he might lose his spot for this match. However, even without Liton, Tamim did not include Zakir Ali as a wicketkeeper. The batting lineup in Tamim’s XI features Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Soumya Sarkar, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad, and Towhid Hridoy.

Tamim hinted that Bangladesh might field the same XI that played in the warm-up match against India. In that match, 13 of the 15 squad members participated, with only Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed sitting out.

Here is Tamim’s preferred Bangladesh XI at a glance:
- Tanzid Hasan Tamim
- Soumya Sarkar
- Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain)
- Shakib Al Hasan
- Mahmudullah Riyad
- Towhid Hridoy
- Rishad Hossain
- Sheikh Mahedi Hasan
- Taskin Ahmed
- Mustafizur Rahman
- Tanzim Hasan Sakib