Uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad has replaced all-rounder Shakib al Hasan in the Bangladesh squad for the first Test against South Africa, starting Monday in Mirpur.
The 23-year old Murad has taken 136 wickets in 30 first-class matches since his debut in 2021.
Chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s national selection panel Gazi Ashraf Hossain said: “We have been informed that Shakib is unavailable for the first Test. He is at the end of his Test career but along with his experience, we still do not have someone of that caliber with both bat and the ball to replace him. However, Murad has performed consistently in first-class cricket and has been in our system. He will lend balance to our bowling, especially in home conditions. We believe he has the potential to deliver at this level.”
Squad for first Test
Nazmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (WK), Jaker Ali Anik, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Hasan Murad