Bangladesh's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 has been released and their prime all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan has been taken in the squad while Najmul Hossain Shanto is declared the captain. However, the selectors have left out their all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz who is a batting all-rounder who bowls right-arm off-spin with a good action.
While the selectors didn't specify any reason behind this exclusion, his low performance might be a reason. He hasn't been in form lately and hence, he was excluded from the team. Moreover, the 22-year-old left-arm quick Shoriful Islam is also included in the squad after being rested in the last two games during the T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Let's discuss the three reasons why Mehidy Hasan Miraz was excluded from the T20 World Cup squad:
1. Enough all-rounding options in the squad
While the selectors have included their prime all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan who can bat and bowl at the same time, Mehidy Hasan Miraz's inclusion became quite difficult. Moreover, the squad already has a lot of all-rounders who are in form and have scored a lot of runs in the recent past. Shakib too claimed a four-wicket haul in the series against Zimbabwe. Hence, Miraj wasn't included in the squad.
2. Not good T20I numbers (with bat and bowl both)
If we look at his records and stats in T20Is, he has played 20 innings and scored 248 runs at an average of 14.58. In bowling, he has bowled in 23 innings and has taken only 13 wickets. These stats speak volumes about his performance in the format and the reason behind his exclusion from the team.
3. He was not in the scheme of things; was not part of the recent T20I series against ZIM
The selectors didn't keep Miraz on the radar which was quite evident from the time they released the T20I squad for the series against Zimbabwe. His lack of performance and consistency in the format is one of the main reasons why he has been kept out of the T20I squad. Moreover, he'll have to perform at domestic levels before making it to the international squad.