Tigers leave for UAE tomorrow

Dhaka, 21 Sept  - The Bangladesh national cricket team will leave for Dubai tomorrow afternoon to play in the SKYEXCH Friendship T20 Series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The squad, led by wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan Sohan, will depart at 5.30pm. Skipper Shakib Al Hasan however won't be available for the series as he is currently in West Indies to play the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). 

The two-match series will be played at the Dubai Cricket Stadium with the matches on September 25 and 27. The team will return home on September 28. Both games are day-nighters starting at 8pm Bangladesh time.

Bangladesh thereafter will leave the country for New Zealand where they will play a tri-nation T20 series, involving hosts New Zealand and Pakistan. The tri-nation series is seen as the preparation platform for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

After the tri-nation series, Bangladesh will move to Australia directly and will play two warm-up matches against Afghanistan and South Africa, slated on October 17 and 19.

Bangladesh will start their World Cup mission on October 24, taking on the runners-up of Group-A in Hobart. Their second match is against South Africa in Sydney on October 27 after which they will face off Group-B champions at the Gabba in Brisbane on October 30. Bangladesh then will take on subcontinent powerhouse India on November 2 and Pakistan on November 6. Adelaide will host both of the matches.

 
Squad for the T20 series against UAE: 

Nurul Hasan Sohan (Captain), Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain Saikot, Liton Kumer Das, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Mustafizur Rahman, Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Hasan Mahmud, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Soumya Sarkar and Rishad Hossain.