Bangladesh announce Test squad for Australia series; Nasir and Shafiul recalled

With the Australia tour of Bangladesh just days away, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the 14-member squad for the two-match Test series against Australia. The main highlight of the announcement is the return of all-rounder Nasir Hossain and fast bowler Shafiul Islam into the squad, while experienced campaigners Mahmudullah Riyad and Mominul Haque along with pacer Kamrul Islam Rabbi have been dropped from the squad.

The 14-player team was named in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, ahead of the first Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium from August 27. Nasir earned a recall riding on the back of strong performances in domestic cricket, while he also impressed with a half-century during the Bangladesh squad’s recent practice match in Chittagong. The 25-year-old all-rounder’s last Test appearance was against South Africa in 2015.

Another big comeback

Shafiul, on the other hand, earned his recall with a five-wicket haul on the opening day of an intra-squad practice match as well as consistent performances in the domestic circuit. He last played a Test match against England and had to miss out on the only Test against India in Hyderabad after an injury he picked up in the Bangladesh Premier League.

He showed signs of returning to his best during his opening spell in the three-day practice match against Bangladesh’s best Test batsmen. Shafiul took 5/17 in 7.1 probing overs for Tamim Iqbal’s Green team at Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, marking his excellent form lately.

Visitors Australia are scheduled to play a warm-up match on August 22-23 before they take on Bangladesh in the first Test. The second Test will be played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong from September 4.

Bangladesh Test squad:

Mushfiqur Rahim (C), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Liton Das (wk), Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman