TEHRAN (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - Returning Iranian icons Samad Nikkhah Bahrami and Hamed Haddadi have been called up to help Team Melli sweep their second window fixtures.

Iran absorbed an unexpected defeat to upstarts Iraq in the first window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers, 74-66, and that certainly rocked the Iran Basketball Federation, prompting them to bring back both Bahrami and Haddadi to the fold.

Bahrami last played for Iran in the FIBA Asia Cup 2015 helping Team Melli finish on the podium as he and Haddadi were both named to the All-Star Five. Haddadi was with the national team at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017, averaging around 16 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks per contest, leading Iran to second place.

Joining Bahrami and Haddadi in the second window are holdovers from the first window: Meisam Mirzaei, Sajjad Mashayekhi,  Navide Niktash, Oshin Sahakian, Mohammad Jamshidi, Arsalan Kazemi and Navid Rezaeifar. Not returning are Vahid Dalirzahan, Rouzbeh Arghavan and Keyvan Riaei.

A trio of other veteran players have also been recalled to the national side: Saeid Davarpanah, Aren Davoudi and Mohammad Hassanzadeh. Iraq were successful in forcing a lot of turnovers from Iran in the first window, and the Iranians had trouble stopping naturalized Iraqi wingman DeMario Mayfield from scoring. The addition of Bahrami, Haddadi and the other veterans seems meant to address these issues. For Iran, the message is clear - stability and experience are crucial to achieve higher results not just in the second window but in other future matches.

Iran are also going to encounter an unbeaten Kazakhstan quintet tomorrow on the road in Astana, and they would do well not to look past the resurgent Kazakhs, who are looking to strengthen their hold at the top spot of Group D. Three days after, Iran will finally have their rematch against first window tormentors Iraq at the Azady Gym in Tehran.

FIBA