DHAKA, Nov 17, 2018 (BSS)- The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday
announced the squad for the first Test of two-match series against the West
Indies with ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan returned in the squad.
Another big-name inclusion in the squad is Soumya Sarkar, whose last Test
appearance came on the tour of South Africa in 2017. BCB has also drafted in
18-year-old off break bowler Naeem Hasan.
Liton Das, who scored a grand total of 47 runs in four innings against
Zimbabwe, has been axed as Abu Jayed was replacing after the first Test
against Zimbabwe in Sylhet.
Shafiul Islam has also been omitted, after he didn’t get game time in the
recent home series. There was also no room for left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam,
who debuted in the Sylhet Test but didn’t play in Dhaka.
The star all-rounder Shakib has been out of action since returning home
midway through the Asia Cup with a long-standing finger injury that needed
surgery.
There were question marks over his participation in the multi-team event in
the UAE in September, and a back-and-forth of comments ensued between him and
the BCB chief Nazmul Hasan regarding his fitness levels. Eventually, he
decided to postpone his surgery and played, and ended up aggravating it
further.
He left before Bangladesh’s Super Four game against Pakistan, which they
won and also missed the close final against India. The surgery and
rehabilitation meant he missed the home series against Zimbabwe where the
hosts suffered an embarrassing defeat in the first Test before managing to
draw the two-Test series.
During his time away, Shakib feared his left little finger might never heal
completely again, but in a massive shot in the arm for the hosts, he has
passed fit to be part of the squad. The first Test will begin on November 22
in Chittagong.
SQUAD
Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Soumya Sarker, Imrul Kayes, Md Mithun, Mominul
Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmud Ullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz,
Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Naeem Hasan