New Coaching Staff Joins Bangladesh Cricket Team Ahead of Pakistan T20I Series

Ahead of their three-match T20 International series against Pakistan, which is slated to commence on May 28, Shaun Tait, the newly appointed pace bowling coach, and Mushtaq Ahmed, the spin bowling coach, have officially joined the Bangladesh cricket team in Lahore.

Team manager Nafees Iqbal verified this development on Monday, noting that the team is scheduled to undertake two training sessions today and tomorrow at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium prior to their initial match.

It is worth mentioning that Tait recently held the position of pace bowling coach for Karachi Kings during the most recent Pakistan Super League (PSL), while Mushtaq served as the bowling coach for Peshawar Zalmi in the same competition.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had previously declared Tait’s appointment as the national team’s fast bowling coach on May 12, with his tenure extending until November 2027.

Moreover, the BCB also extended Mushtaq Ahmed’s contract after the expiration of his prior agreement following the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year. According to the terms of the new two-year agreement, Mushtaq is set to dedicate 130 days annually to working with the BCB.

In other team-related news, it is anticipated that pacer Khaled Ahmed, who was called up to fill the void left by the injured Mustafizur Rahman for the Pakistan series, will arrive in Lahore tonight to join the team.

Statement from BCB’s Cricket Operations Chairman

“Khaled traveled to England with his wife for a family vacation. He is expected to link up with the team in Lahore tonight,” stated Shahriar Nafees, the chairman of BCB’s cricket operations.

Mustafizur was deemed unfit for the aforementioned series subsequent to incurring a clip fracture on his left thumb during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on May 24.

The injury is projected to keep the left-arm pacer on the sidelines for a minimum of two weeks, prompting his return home from India.

The approaching series against Bangladesh will mark Pakistan’s inaugural assignment under the guidance of newly appointed white-ball head coach Mike Hesson.

Originally, Bangladesh’s arrival in Pakistan was planned in two phases on May 21 for a five-match T20I series, with the first match initially slated for May 25 in Faisalabad.

However, owing to logistical challenges and changing security considerations, the tour has been condensed to a three-match series.

As per the revised schedule, all three T20Is are now scheduled to take place at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on May 28, May 30, and June 1.

Bangladesh Squad for Pakistan T20Is:

Litton Das (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan (vice-captain), Tanvir Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam