Tamim Iqbal, who did not take part in the last edition of BCL, will be available for the first and third rounds © Getty

The player's draft for the Bangadesh Cricket League (BCL), scheduled to start from January 31, took place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday (January 27) with the subsequent players' list provided by BCB following the event confirming the availability of all the national cricketers for the opening phase of the four-team first-class competition.

Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Mustafizur Rahman, who did not take part in the last edition of BCL, are among the front-line national cricketers who will be available for the first and third rounds of the tournament. Meanwhile, Rahim, who opted out of the Pakistan tour, will be available for his side BCB North Zone for the full season.

Bangladesh Test specialists have already started the preparations for the Test series against Pakistan under the guidance of Neil McKenzie. Bangladesh will play their first Test against Pakistan on February 7 during the second phase of their tour while the second Test will be held in April, both games being part of the World Test Championship.

Bangladesh are also scheduled to play a one-off Test against Zimbabwe starting on February 22. Zimbabwe are scheduled to arrive between the second and third phase of Pakistan tour and are scheduled to play three ODIs and two T20Is apart from the Test. Zimbabwe were earlier scheduled to come to Bangladesh in March to play a lone Test and five T20 Internationals but the BCB convinced them to bring forward the series to February.

Bangladesh will also host two T20 Internationals between Asia XI and World XI on March 18 and 20 to mark the birth centenary Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Taking everything into consideration the BCB had to change their domestic calendar and bring forward the BCL. The Dhaka Premier League was initially scheduled to start from the first week of February but has now been shifted to May, ahead of Bangladesh's tour of Ireland.

Bangladesh selector Habibul Bashar confirmed the availability of the national cricketers. "All the national players are available in the first round game of BCL and we are expecting them to perform well to gain back their confidence as we failed to put up a good show in the just concluded T20s in Pakistan," Habibul told Cricbuzz.

"We need to regroup quickly ahead of the opening Test of the two-match series against Pakistan and in order to do that, our cricketers need to perform in the BCL. When you will be performing all the doubts that is expected to have crept into their minds will be removed."

There will be only two corporate houses involved in the franchise based first-class cricket tournament - Walton will be backing Central Zone while Islami Bank are behind East Zone. Prime Bank, opted out the tournament this season, having earlier been with South Zone. The BCB will manage the South Zone team as well as North Zone, who failed to grab the attention of any interested parties.

Full squads:

BCB South Zone: Abdur Razzak, Al Amin Hossain, Anamul Haque, Mahedi Hasan, Nurul Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Mahmudullah, Fazle Mahmud, Farhad Reza, Shamsur Rahman, Mohammad Al Amin, Nasum Ahmed, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Shahriar Nafees, Robiul Haque, Irfan Shukkur, Aminul Islam Biplob, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Ruyel Miah.

Islami Bank East Zone: Imrul Kayes, Abu Jayed Chowdhury, Afif Hossain, Mominul Haque, Nayeem Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Rubel Hossain, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Pinak Ghosh, Hasan Mahmud, Zakir Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Taijul Islam, Amite Hasan, Rejaur Rahman, Tanvir Islam, Imranuzzaman, Khaled Ahmed, Rony Chowdhury, Mohammad Ashraful

Walton Central Zone: Saif Hassan, Shuvagata Hom, Taibur Rahman, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Arafat Sunny, Shohidul Islam, Mohammad Mithun, Mustafizur Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Raqibul Hasan, Mukidul Islam, Jaker Ali, Nazmul Islam, Mohammad Naim, Abdul Mazid, Ifran Hossain, Mohammad Suhrawardi, Shoriful Islam, Akbar Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

BCB North Zone: Ariful Haque, Nayeem Islam, Junaid Siddique, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sunzamul Islam, Ebadat Hossain, Rony Talukder, Sumon Khan, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Rishad Hossain, Sanjit Saha, Salauddin Shakil, Jahurul Islam, Tanbir Haider, Enamul Haque jnr, Mizanur Rahman, Hossain Ali, Muktar Ali