Pace bowler Taskin Ahmed has returned to Bangladesh’s squad for the first Test against West Indies, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) naming a 15-member squad on Friday (October 23). Taskin, who was rested for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, replaces fellow pacer Khaled Ahmed. Opener Soumya Sarkar, who was part of the squad for the Afghanistan Test, has also been left out.
Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam
Nahid Rana, who is currently in Australia for an assessment of his longstanding injury, has been ruled out of the opening Test. He is also unlikely to return for the second Test.
Bangladesh, however, will have Litton Das available after the wicketkeeper-batter missed the tri-nation series in the United Arab Emirates with a hip bone injury.
“The mission is very clear. Since we are part of the WTC, these two matches are part of the WTC. So it’s very important for us. So obviously if you look at our team, we haven’t made too many changes. Although there is still a little concern about Liton but we are hopeful that he will be fine. So we don’t have to make too many changes. We are hopeful, we are confident,” said chief selector Habibul Bashar.
The selectors have included Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam alongside Taskin in the pace attack. There was no place, however for Khaled Ahmed, who played against Zimbabwe with the squad featuring as many as three spinners in Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan.
“Look, right now our top three are actually Ebadat, Shoriful, Hasan, as you know as you know they are the ones we are playing and then Taskin is back. So Khaled’s chances of actually coming here are low,” Bashar said.
“So since we have taken four seam bowlers, Khaled didn’t get a chance. But when we go to South Africa and even in the next Test match maybe Khaled can be back in the squad. But the thing we are emphasizing is first-class cricket, we are giving great importance. We want those who may not be in the XI to play first-class. That is the reason we are also not keeping Soumya Sarkar as want him to play first-class cricket.”
Jaker Ali, who is leading the BCB XI against the touring West Indies in a two-day warm-up match, has been named as the back-up wicketkeeper.
The opening Test of the two-match series, part of the ICC World Test Championship, will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur from October 28. The second Test is scheduled to begin on November 5 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
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