Bangladesh cricket team announced 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan beginning from 21st August. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who last played a Test in June 2023, has made his comeback in whites. Taskin had taken a break from Tests to prioritise his recovery following a shoulder injury.
However, the seamer expressed his desire to play red-ball cricket again and has been included in the squad. He will be accompanying four other pacers in the squad but will miss out from the first Test as informed by Chairman of National Selection Panel Gazi Ashraf Hossain.
“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,”said Hossain.
Bangladesh will be travelling to Pakistan four days earlier than their scheduled departure due to the ongoing political crisis in their country. The 16-member squad will land in Pakistan on August 12 and will train at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from August 14-16. They will further travel to Rawalpindi on August 17 to hold practice sessions from August 18.
Bangladesh and Pakistan will take on each other in a two-match Test series beginning from August 21 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. On the other hand, the second Test will begin from August 30 at National Stadium, Karachi. It will be Bangladesh’s first tour to Pakistan after 2020 when they played three T20Is in Lahore and a one-off Test in Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, Pakistan have an upper hand over Bangladesh in their Test history having beaten them in 12 matches out of the 13 played between the two teams.
Bangladesh Test squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumar Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed
