Bangladesh Test captain Shakib al Hasan returned to the national fold after recovering from a long-standing finger injury as the BCB announced a 13-member squad for the first Test match against the West Indies, starting Thursday.
The Tigers will however, miss their premium opening batsman Tamim Iqbal due to injury.
Tamim had recovered well from his finger injury and was doing some practice to make a comeback through the first Test, but the southpaw recently sustained a side strain that ruled him out.
That means the 29-year old from Chittagong will not feature in his home ground when the Tigers play the first match of the two-Test series at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Cricket Stadium.
Opening batsman Soumya Sarkar and off-spinner Nayeem Hasan have also returned to the fold alongside Shakib.
Makeshift Test captain @Mahmudullah30 is a bit relieved after scoring a magnificent Test hundred against the visiting @ZimCricketv.https://t.co/n3wzdlMuki#MAHMUDULLAH #RIYAD #MAHMUDULLAHRIYAD #BANGLADESH #CRICKET #BANGLADESHCRICKET #BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #ZC #ZIMBABWECRICKET
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) November 16, 2018
The BCB named a squad of only 13 members in order to allow the players to take part in the Bangladesh Cricket League first-class tournament, rather than staying inert in the national dressing room.
However, it was understood that the national selection panel has kept the inclusion of players open from the two-day warm-up game against the Windies, beginning today.
Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam Apu, pacers Abu Jayed Rahi and Shafiul Islam and batsmen Liton Das and Nazmul Hossain Shanto have been dropped from Bangladesh’s last Test squad that played against Zimbabwe in the recently concluded two-Test home series.
Liton had a poor run in the Zimbabwe series scoring nine, 23, nine and six in the two Tests, while Shanto in one Test scored six and 13.
Shafiul did not get to play any game but removal of Rahi from the squad is a surprising decision.
#Bangladesh now shift focus to WI
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) November 15, 2018
Bangladesh national cricket team will now shift their focus to the home series against the #WestIndies having completed the month-long series against #Zimbabwe. https://t.co/ZgQ6HrtBAI
The right-arm pacer had a brilliant outing for Bangladesh in the tour of West Indies, and was somewhat decent at home against Zimbabwe as he bowled his heart out being the only paceman for the host in the first Test in Sylhet.
Shakib will stand as Test captain for Bangladesh for the first time at home since he was handed the position last December.
The left-arm all-rounder was ruled out from the Test series at home against Sri Lanka in January this year due to injury, and also missed the Zimbabwe series.
The national selection panel was waiting to make a final call on including Shakib in the squad and thus made a two-day delay in announcing the squad.
Soumya has been handed a spot in the squad for his 471 runs at an average of 67.28 in the recently concluded National Cricket League.
While the @windieswomen are storming through the @WorldT20, the WINDIES Senior Men's team are hard at work in Chattogram, Bangladesh preparing for a 2-day practice match starting on Sunday then the 1st Test vs the host, starting on Thursday.#WindiesCricket #ItsOurGame pic.twitter.com/OkQtTRYDv1
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) November 17, 2018
The left-handed batsman was axed from the national side for the longer format following their tour of South Africa in 2017.
Nayeem grabbed a place for finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the first-class cricket competition.
The slow bowler picked up 28 wickets in six matches.
The occasion is the second for the uncapped Nayeem to get included in the Test squad.
The Chittagong lad was included in the squad for the home series against Sri Lanka this year but never made it to the playing XI.
Squad
Shakib al Hasan (C), Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed and Nayeem Hasan
