2017 ICC Champions Trophy: Bangladesh announce 15-man squad for the tournament

Bangladesh famously beat England in the group stages of the 2015 World Cup

Bangladesh has announced their 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in June.

They will be reliant on their experienced hands to deliver for them, with Tamim Iqbal – who has had success in England in the past – important as ever. Captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has decided to put all of his efforts into ODIs now, making this a massive tournament for him and his team.

All-rounder Shakib al Hasan is another vital cog in the Bangladeshi line-up, as are Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah. The Tigers will be expecting big things from their star names if they are to surprise people and cause their opposition headaches, perhaps even winning a game or two.

Spin has been a strong asset for Bangladesh in recent times, but it remains to be seen whether the ball will turn much in England in June. In contrast, Australia has opted to stack their side with pace.

This year’s Champions Trophy gets under way on 1 June, and it’ll be the first time since 2006 that Bangladesh will have played in the event. The tournament is made up of two groups of four, with the Tigers set to kick off the competition against hosts England at The Oval. They’ll then play Australia, also at the Oval on 5 June, before finishing up against New Zealand in Cardiff on 9 June.

Bangladesh famously beat England in the group stages of the 2015 World Cup, perhaps their most impressive feat in the 50-over game. In last year’s Twenty20 World Cup, they had a golden chance to defeat hosts India, but spurned it. However, this still indicates that Bangladesh are making big strides at the elite level.

It’s a big chance for the Tigers to make their mark in the exclusive eight-team event – their presence means that West Indies miss out. They have impressed a few times on home soil now against the top Test-playing teams, but they’ll likely find English conditions much trickier than those in the sub-continent.

The Champions Trophy was initially scrapped following the 2013 edition, despite being successful. However, a few months after the decision, the tournament was brought back due to its immense popularity. India won the last edition – which was also staged in England and Wales – by five runs in a closely-fought final.

Bangladesh squad for the Champions Trophy: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Somya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Sunzamul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam.