Bangladesh Test squad for Pakistan series announced; Taskin Ahmed to feature in just one match

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a 16-player squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan later this month. Najmul Hossain Shanto will captain the national team, and Mushfiqur Rahim and Taskin Ahmed have returned for the Test series, which is set to be played in Pakistan.

Bangladesh will tour Pakistan for a Test series from August 21 to September 3. The first Test is scheduled to be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, followed by a second Test at the National Stadium in Karachi from August 30. The series is part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

Mushfiqur Rahim Returns To Bangladesh Test Squad

Mushfiqur Rahim was unavailable for the Sri Lanka Tests due to a thumb injury. Taskin Ahmed will join the Test squad for the second and final Test. Taskin will feature in a four-day game for the A team on August 20. Shakib Al Hasan is also included in the squad after making himself available for selection.

Six players from the Test squad, including Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque, arrived in Pakistan on Saturday to join the Bangladesh A team. They will participate in the first four-day game in Islamabad, starting August 13. The A team will play two four-day games and three one-day matches.

Bangladesh Test squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed

This Is A Well-Balanced Squad - Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain

Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain stated that they picked a well-balanced squad for the upcoming series. He noted that Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, and Shakib Al Hasan bring experience to the team.

"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," Hossain 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 ( Das) and the other batsmen to step up because to be competitive against Pakistan, we will need a team effort," Hossain added.

The chief selector confirmed that Taskin Ahmed will only play in the second Test. He noted that Taskin will participate in a four-day match for Bangladesh A to regain his rhythm before the Test series.

“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, " Hossain added.

Taskin Ahmed last played a Test match in January against New Zealand. Since then, he has played in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024.

Also read: Ben Stokes sidelined indefinitely? England captain suffers serious injury in The Hundred