Mushfiqur Rahim will join the Tigers' 14-member squad with middle-order batsman Tushar Imran, who has not been used for a single match in the first three games, making way for the young wicketkeeper.

Bangladesh go into the back-to-back ODIs on December 8 and 9 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur Stadium with an unassailable 3-0 lead. Both the teams returned to the capital yesterday after playing two matches in Bogra.

Chief selector Faruqe Ahmed admitted that it was unfortunate for Tushar to be axed without playing.

"We had selected him for his experience in the middle-order in absence of (Mohammad) Ashraful. But Ashraful's return to the side has not only filled the vacancy but also lessened Tushar's chances to get into the first eleven," Faruque told The Daily Star last night.

With Khaled Mashud making unusual slips with his gloves in the last two matches, one might take Rahim's inclusion as a pressure on the first choice wicketkeeper but Faruque said the selection panel is looking at the situation from a different angle.

"Wicketkeeping is a specialist job and one needs match practice to improve. So we have decided to give Rahim some exposure in the series.

"We have seen Mehrab Hossain start nervously but with time, the young batsman has improved. So, playing an international match would help Rahim. We expect to give Rahim at least one match in the remaining of the series," the former national captain informed.

"Mashud is an experienced guy and it won't create any pressure on him. There have been mistakes but that is not the reason to take another wicketkeeper. The only problem Mashud has is with the bat -- he is not in form. The rest would also serve him."

Although the 19-year-old Rahim, an understudy to the ever-present Mashud for long, has not shown enough skill, he has been repeatedly selected.

Rahim, who has so far played just one ODI -- during Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe last August when his inclusion beside Mashud drew criticism -- has not also been in form with the bat, having scored 85 runs from six innings including a best of 29 in the ongoing National Cricket League.

SQUAD
Habibul Bashar (Captain), Shahriar Nafees Ahmed (vice-captain), Khaled Mashud, Aftab Ahmed, Mohammad Ashraful, Mohammad Rafique, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafee Bin Mortuza, Shahadat Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Sakib Al Hasan, Farhad Reza and Mehrab Hossain.