Mahmudullah Added To Bangladesh's Test Squad vs Zimbabwe After Mushfiqur Rahim And Tamim Iqbal Ruled Out Due To Injuries

Senior Bangladesh batsman Mahmudullah has been added to the Test squad for the one-off Test versus Zimbabwe next month following the withdrawals of Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal due to injuries.

Bangladesh tour Zimbabwe for a solitary Test in Bulawayo, starting July 7, followed by 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is in Harare.

Mahmudullah, Bangladesh’s T20Is skipper, last featured in the longest format in February 2020 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi and was dropped since. In 49 Tests he averages 31.77 with the help of 6 centuries and 16 fifties. He was also among a handful of cricketers to be given a white-ball-only central contract in 2020.

Mahmudullah a backup batsman in the squad: Akram Khan

The 35-year-old batting all-rounder has been added as a “back-up batsman” in the squad following the ruling out of Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal. Rahim is recovering from a hairline fracture on his left index finger, which he sustained during Abahani Limited’s Dhaka Premier League (DPL) T20 match; opener Tamim suffered a knee injury ahead of the Super League stage of Prime Bank Cricket Club’s campaign in the DPL.

“During an emergency meeting yesterday that included the selectors, the board president [Nazmul Hassan] and myself, we decided that we can’t take a chance with the injuries,” Akram Khan, BCB cricket operations chairman, said.

“Because of the situation, we decided to make the squad bigger. We are 80% sure that he [Rahim] can play, but we don’t want to take a chance. We want to have a back-up batsman in the squad.”

Apart from Mahmudullah, this Test squad also sees the return of Shakib Al Hasan to the red-ball side after he last played in February earlier in the year. He opted out of the Sri Lanka Test series to play in the IPL 2021 for the Kolkata Knight Riders.