Akbar Ali to Lead Bangladesh Emerging Team Against South Africa

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a 15-member Emerging Team squad for the upcoming home series against the South Africa Emerging team, scheduled to begin this month. The squad will be captained by 2020 ICC U19 World Cup-winning skipper Akbar Ali.

The tour will feature three One-Day matches and two four-day games. The One-Day games will be held in Rajshahi, while the longer-format matches will take place in Chattogram and Dhaka.

Alongside Akbar, his fellow U19 World Cup teammate Rakibul Hasan also features in the squad. Several performers from the recently concluded Dhaka Premier League have earned call-ups, including Zishan Alam, Ariful Islam, Ripon Mondol, Wasi Siddique, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabbi, and Rayan Rafsan Rahman.

Tour Schedule:

• South Africa Emerging Team Arrival: May 7

• One-Day Matches: May 12, 14 & 16 at Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium, Rajshahi

• First Four-Day Match: May 20–23 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram

• Second Four-Day Match: May 27–30 at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Bangladesh Emerging Team Squad:

• Akbar Ali (Captain)

• Mahfijul Islam

• Zishan Alam

• Rayan Rafsan Rahman

• Ariful Islam

• Ahrar Amin

• Pritom Kumar

• Mahfuzur Rahman Rabbi

• Tofayel Ahmed Rayhan

• Wasi Siddique

• Rakibul Hasan

• Sheikh Parvez Jibon

• Maruf Mridha

• Ripon Mondol

• Asaduzzaman

This series is expected to serve as a key development platform for Bangladesh’s next generation of cricketers.