Alis in ODI squad for the first time; Litton to lead in tri-nation series.

Mystery spinner Alis Al Islam has earned his maiden call-up to the Bangladesh ODI squad. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the 16-member squad today for the upcoming tri-nation series featuring Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. Alis has secured a spot in the team led by Litton Das. Additionally, pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Hasan Mahmud have returned to the squad.
Alis made his international debut in the T20 format. He first represented Bangladesh during the bronze medal match against Sri Lanka at the Asian Games. However, he had previously been selected for the T20 squad but was ruled out due to injury before he could play a match.
Now, Alis has earned a place in the ODI squad for the first time. His recent performances in domestic cricket and for the Bangladesh 'A' team played a significant role in securing this opportunity.
 

Alis Shines in Domestic Cricket
In his T20 debut against Sri Lanka at the Asian Games, Alis bowled four overs, conceding 18 runs and taking one wicket. Since then, the mystery spinner has also demonstrated his capabilities in the 50-over format.
Last month, during the Bangladesh 'A' team's tour of South Africa, he took three wickets for 35 runs in 10 overs against the hosts. Prior to that, Alis enjoyed great success with the ball in the latest season of the Dhaka Premier League, finishing as the tournament's highest wicket-taker with 24 wickets in 10 matches.
Explaining the decision to include Alis, Chief Selector Habibul Bashar told *Prothom Alo*, "We wanted to see some mystery spin in the ODI format as well. Alis performed well in this format in South Africa. There were some concerns regarding his fielding, but he has improved in that area too. Considering everything, we decided to include him in the squad."

A New Chapter Under Litton's Leadership
The tri-nation series will mark the official beginning of Litton Das's tenure as ODI captain. He was appointed to lead the team in this format last July, taking over from Mehidy Hasan Miraz. However, Liton had returned home without playing a single match during the last series against Zimbabwe due to an injury. Now, he awaits the challenge of taking the field in this new role. There will be keen interest in how the Bangladesh team performs under his leadership.

Mustafiz and Hasan Mahmud Return to the Squad
Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman and right-arm pacer Hasan Mahmud have secured spots in the tri-nation series squad. Mustafiz played in the first match of the previous series against Zimbabwe but missed the subsequent two games due to injury.
Meanwhile, Hasan Mahmud last played an ODI in October of last year. He has been brought into the squad to replace Nahid Rana, who has not yet fully recovered from the injury sustained during the series against Zimbabwe. Parvez Hossain, who was in the squad for the last series but did not get a chance to play, has been dropped from the tri-nation series team. Saifuddin is also missing from this squad.
 

When Will Bangladesh Play?
In the tri-nation series featuring Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, Bangladesh will face Zimbabwe in the opening match on October 17 in Abu Dhabi. Subsequently, Liton's team will play against Afghanistan in Sharjah on October 21.
The final of the tri-nation series is scheduled for October 23. According to the schedule, all matches will commence at 3:30 PM Bangladesh time.
With the leadership of new captain Liton Das, the possibility of Alis Al Islam making his ODI debut, and the return of Mustafiz and Hasan Mahmud to the pace attack, there is renewed interest surrounding the Bangladesh team ahead of the tri-nation series.