Bangladesh have announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match series against Pakistan, starting from August 21. The Bangla Tigers have called back star pacer Taskin Ahmed and veteran keeper Mushfiqur Rahim for the upcoming red-ball series.
Taskin last played the format in June 2023 against Afghanistan following which he took a break from the Tests to focus on his shoulder injury. Mushfiqur played in the New Zealand series and was not part of the Sri Lanka home series.
Bangladesh Cricket Board's national selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain shed light on the squad selection. "We have selected five pacers, mindful of the fact that Taskin Ahmed will only play the second Test. He hasn't bowled in a Test since June last year and we have decided to include him in the 'A' team for the second four-dayer against Pakistan A to get him into the rhythm for longer version matches," he said.
"Also, a couple of the pacers may join the A Team for the one-day matches, so we needed backups. Our attack has variety with bowlers who can bowl fast and also swing the ball and I am really looking forward to seeing them perform against world-class batters," he added.
The panel also picked Shakib Al Hasan and Shoriful Islam, citing that it wanted to pick its best players. "The emphasis was on picking our best players for this version. This is a well-balanced squad. The likes of Mushfiqur (Rahim), Mominul (Haque) and Shakib (Al Hasan) have played 216 matches combined and there is no substitute for that kind of experience," he said.
"Taijul (Islam) and Miraz (Mehidy Hasan) have been leading the spin department for a long time and have over 350 wickets between them. We also expect Shanto (Najmul Hossain), Litton (Kumar Das) and the other batters to step up because to be competitive against Pakistan, we will need a team effort.
Bangladesh's A team is already in Pakistan for two four-day games and three one-day matches. "Pakistan are very tough opponents, especially in their home front and it will be a challenging tour for us. It is good that we will get additional time to prepare in Lahore. Also, some players who are already on the Bangladesh A side in Pakistan will join the national team for the Test series. Their experience of the conditions should come in handy," he added.
The Test series will begin with the first game from August 21 onwards in Rawalpindi, followed by the second one which starts on August 30 in Karachi. The Bangla Tigers will travel to Pakistan on August 12.
Bangladesh's squad for the Test series:
Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed
