Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak and top-order batsman Shamsur Rahman will be catching a flight for Zimbabwe today to join the Bangladesh squad for the forthcoming three-match ODI and two-match T20I series against the hosts, according to the latest decision taken by Bangladesh Cricket Board Thursday.
Before the start of the second Test which started Thursday, Shafiul Islam and Ziaur Rahman were flown in as replacements for injured pacers Shahadat Hossain and Rubel Hossain. Shahadat has already returned home with a knee injury, which he suffered during a net session, but his compatriot Rubel was lucky to stay back with a sore right shoulder.
Currently there are 16 players in the touring squad, and with Razzak and Shamsur joining the party the axe is likely to fall on Enamul Haque Jr and Shahriar Nafees. The selectors however, are yet to come to a decision.
A five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka last month enabled Razzak to become the only Bangladeshi to achieve 200 ODI wickets and in seaming conditions it makes sense that the left-armer will replace one of his kind, especially since Enamul has always been considered more for the Tests.
Shamsur, who is yet to make an ODI debut, also gets his place back in the team due to the unavailability of Anamul Haque. Anamul returned mid-tour from Sri Lanka to attend his HSC exams last month and is still occupied with studies.
Shamsur who has played just the one T20 for the Tigers will not carry any sweet memory from it as the hard-hitting batsman survived just one ball on his debut.
