Anamul eager to prove his calibre in Sri Lanka tour

Anamul Haque Bijoy, the right-handed top-order batsman, is eager to utilise the Sri Lanka tour to seal his place in the national team, reports UNB.

After a year, he has been included in the 14-member national men’s squad, the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced on Tuesday.

"I was waiting for this day. Now, my main focus will be to perform well. As a cricketer, I always believe that performing well is the best thing I can do for the team," Anamul told UNB on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old is currently playing for Bangladesh A against their Afghanistan counterparts. In the first four-day match, Anamul struck a ton while batting at number four.

This innings could have prompted the selectors to consider him for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. At the same time, the absence of wicket-keeper batsman Liton Das, who is on leave for personal reasons, also played a role in opening the door of the national team for Anamul.

"Recently, he (Anamul) struck a ton for Bangladesh A. We hope he'll be able to replicate the performance. We were also considering Imrul Kayes but his recent performance is not up to the mark," Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector of BCB, told newsmen on Tuesday.

Anamul last played for the national team in 2018 during Bangladesh's tour to West Indies but failed to impress with the bat as he scored 0, 23 and 10 in three ODI matches. His poor performance cost him a place in the team.

The right-handed batsman kicked off his international career in 2012 against West Indies in Khulna. He struck a ton in his second ODI. But he has failed to perform consistently.

Despite getting several chances last year, Anamul disappointed to live up to the expectation. But this time, he is keen to make his inclusion counted.

Anamul played 37 ODIs till date and scored 1,038 runs with three fifties and three centuries with the best innings of 120 against West Indies.