Shakib Al Hasan has been named in Bangladesh’s 18-man Test squad for the two-match series against West Indies.
Shakib had suffered a groin injury during the third ODI on January 25, and walked off the field without completing his fifth over. He returned to training on Saturday after a scan last week revealed no major damage.
The number one allrounder of ODI cricket already made a successful return to international cricket following his one-year ban, completing a player-of-the-series performance against West Indies in the ODIs. This will be his first Test since the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September 2019.
Bangladesh had earlier named a 20-member provisional Test squad, which had been practising since the conclusion of the ODI serie.
Apart from Shakib, the national selectors have added Shadman Islam to the squad that was chosen for Bangladesh’s last Test match, the one-off game against Zimbabwe last February.
Among the uncapped players are Yasir Ali, the middle-order batsman who was picked against Zimbabwe last year for the first time, and pace bowler Hasan Mahmud who recently made his ODI debut against West Indies. Yasir averages 51.33 in 51 first-class matches, and has scored eight centuries. Mahmud has taken 37 wickets in 14 first-class matches thus far.
The first Test is scheduled to begin on February 3 in Chattogram while the second Test will be played in Dhaka from February 11. This will be Bangladesh’s first Test assignment since their innings victory against Zimbabwe at home in February 2020.
Test squad: Mominul Haque (C), Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Yasir Ali, Saif Hassan, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Shadman Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed, Ebadat Hossain, Hasan Mahmud.
