Bangladesh wicket-keeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim said he is "available" to play for the side and has quashed off claims of him being rested for the Pakistan T20Is.
Bangladesh and Pakistan will lock horns in the first T20I on Friday. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday announced a 16-man squad for the T20I series against Pakistan.
The cricket board claimed that all-rounders Shakib Al Hasan and Shaif Uddin are unavailable due to injuries while Mushfiqur was rested for the T20 international series.
"To be honest I haven't reached the stage when I have to tell someone that I need rest. I am definitely available. Why won't I be? I obviously had a disappointing World Cup. I needed an opportunity to bounce back," Mushfiqur told Channel 24 as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
"I was asked if I was available, to which I said of course I am available. But I was told that the selection committee, team management, head coach and team director took a collective decision to drop me," he added.
Meanwhile, returning to the Bangladesh T20 team are batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto and leg spinner Aminul Islam Biplob. The newcomers are batsmen Saif Hassan and Yasir Ali Chowdhury, pacer Shohidul Islam and wicketkeeper Akbar Ali.
Bangladesh T20 squad: Mahmud Ullah (captain), Naim Sheikh, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Aminul Islam Biplob, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Shamim Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Shohidul Islam, Akbar Ali.
( With inputs from ANI )
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