Left-arm spinner Shoriful Islam, fast-bowler Syed Khaled Ahmed and all-rounder Fazle Mahmud Rabbi earned their maiden call in the 31-member Bangladesh preliminary squad that Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced yesterday for the upcoming ACC Asia Cup-2018.

Barishal-born Rabbi among the rookies has more experience of playing 66 first class matches, whereby he scored 3508 runs with the best figures of 148. He has 28 wickets in his kitty with the best of 4-55. In contrast, Panchagarh-born Shoriful played so far seven while Sylhet-born Khaled played 16 first class matches after stepping into cricket in 2015.

Off-spinner Sunzamul Islam, wicketkeeper-batsman Zakir Hasan, pacer Mohammad Saifuddin staged their comeback in the preliminary squad. On the other hand, speedster Taskin Ahmed, left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, fast-bowler Abul Hasan Raju, pacer Yeasir Arafat Mishu, batsman Sadman Islam Anik, pacer Shafiul Islam did not make their places.

The preliminary camp will start at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur on August 27, just four days after Eid-ul-Azha vacation.

Bangladesh squad: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman Rumman, Mohammad Sharifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Liton Kumar Das, Abu Haider Rony, Nazmul Islam Apu, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mominul Haque, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rubel Hossain, Ariful Haque, Abu Jayed Rahi, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Zakir Hasan, Sunzamul Islam, Mohammad Mithun and Fazle Mahmud Rabbi