Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone remain unavailable due to injury. Bairstow, speaking at the MCC’s Cowdrey Lecture on Wednesday night, said “things are tracking in the right direction” after his freakish golfing injury in September, which ruled him out of England’s winter. He is due to see a surgeon later this month and has no set return date. Like Livingstone, his Punjab Kings team-mate, he will hope to be fit enough to play in IPL 2023.
Rehan’s inclusion gives him the opportunity to confirm his status as England’s long-term replacement for Adil Rashid, and to press his case for inclusion in squads for the ODI and T20 World Cups in 2023 and 2024. He has only played seven List A games but has played 50-over cricket for England Under-19s and England Lions, and already has extensive short-form experience with Leicestershire (in the Blast), Southern Brave (the Hundred) and Gulf Giants (ILT20).
The ODI leg of the tour is part of the ICC’s Super League, the qualification process for the 2023 World Cup, though both teams have already confirmed their spots. More pertinently, it is England’s final away series before the World Cup, and offers preparation in subcontinental conditions against a Bangladesh side who are unbeaten in their last seven home ODI series.
ODI squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Tom Abell, Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
T20I squad: Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan replace Saqib Mahmood, Jason Roy and James Vince
Fixtures: 1st ODI – March 1 (Dhaka), 2nd ODI – March 3 (Dhaka), 3rd ODI – March 6 (Chattogram), 1st T20I – March 9 (Chattogram), 2nd T20I – March 12 (Dhaka), 3rd T20I – March 14 (Dhaka).
