Bangladesh include four new faces for Zimbabwe Tests
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have announced the 15-member Test squad for the two Tests against Zimbabwe on Thursday. The first Test will take place from 3rd November in Sylhet which will be first ever Test at the venue, and the second and final Test will be held in Dhaka from 11th November.
Bangladesh have included four new faces for the Test series, but have overlooked Tushar Imran once again. The right-handed batsman recorded seven centuries in the calendar year in domestic cricket. However, Bangladesh selectors have still opted against calling him back to the national side after a 11 year period.
The new faces are Mohammad Mithun, Ariful Haque, Nazmul Islam Apu and Khaled Ahmed, who is yet to play for Bangladesh in any format.
Mohammad Mithun, the right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman is close to establishing himself in the limited-overs set-up of the Tigers. He has played 88 First-class matches and scored 4770 runs at an average of 35-plus. Mithun has 12 centuries and 24 half-centuries to his name.
Ariful Haque, a right-handed allrounder, has also put in some remarkable performances to be considered for limited-overs cricket. He scored an eye-catching double-ton in the first round of ongoing National Cricket League, the most prestigious first-class event of Bangladesh. He played a total of 76 first-class matches and scored at an average of over 33.
Like Mithun and Ariful, Namzul Islam Apu is also a new inclusion to the Tigers' limited-overs set-up. The left-handed spinner has however earned his maiden call-up to the Test team. He has played 54 First-class matches and scalped 144 wickets. Khaled Ahmed, a right-handed medium pacer, is the most inexperienced inclusion in the Tigers' Test armoury, having played just 20 First-class matches and taken 48 scalps.
Two changes were inevitable in the Bangladesh squad since Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal are suffering from injuries.
Bangladesh have also overlooked wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan Sohan and pace-bowling duo Rubel Hossain and Kamul Islam Rabbi. Both of them underperformed during the last Test series against West Indies and have lost their spots as a result.
In the forthcoming Test series, Mahmudullah Riyad will lead Bangladesh as the regular captain Shakib is not available. Mahmudullah already had the taste of captaincy when Shakib was unavailable due to injury during Bangladesh's home series against Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Bangladesh Squad: Mahmudullah (Captain), Imrul Kayes, Litton Kumer Das, Mominul Haque, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Md Mithun, Khaled Ahmed, Nazmul Islam Apu.