‘Fitness is important’ says Nannu on Nasir's exclusion in T20 squad

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu explained why all-rounder Nasir Hossain was not included in the T20 squad despite a successful stint in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

The 32-year-old batter Rony Talukdar, Towhid Hridoy, Rejaur Rahman Raja, and left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam were called into the T20I squad for the England series. But Nasir failed to earn a spot despite stacking 366 runs with two fifties and 16 wickets in 12 matches of BPL.

"Age is not an issue, fitness is what matters here. It is very important now. There are so many matches in international cricket, every month there is international cricket. There is also franchise and domestic cricket. So fitness is very important," Nannu told the media on Thursday.

"Many things have been discussed this time. We took the decision after a discussion with the team management. Fitness is very important, wherever one performs. If we need that player in any format, we will get him prepared," he said.

The chief selector also stated that BCB are planning to work with 22-24 players ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup.

"This is the first time we will play T20 after the World Cup. One thing we kept in mind is that many players have performed well in this year's BPL. Another thing we have taken up is that we are planning some players for the next year. It can be 22-24 people. We will proceed with a plan in the next year. We are starting this series with the players who are currently in form," he added.