Shakib included in Bangladesh’s squad for Pakistan Tests

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the Test squad for the tour of Pakistan which had all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in it. 

Shakib had earlier made himself available for the Test series against Pakistan but as he was a Member of Parliament under the previous government Awami League, fans were vocal against him playing for Bangladesh again. 

The left-arm all-rounder had kept silent during the anti-quota student protests which eventually turned into a mass movement that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government.  

Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the chairman of the selection panel spoke about selecting the best available players for the Test series.

"The emphasis was on picking our best players for this version. This is a well-balanced squad. The likes of Mushfiqur (Rahim), Mominul (Haque) and Shakib (Al Hasan) have played 216 matches combined and there is no substitute for that kind of experience. Taijul (Islam) and Miraz (Mehidy Hasan) have been leading the spin department for a long time and have over 350 wickets between them. We also expect Shanto (Najmul Hossain), Litton (Das) and the other batters to step up because to be competitive against Pakistan, we will need a team effort," Ashraf told the media on Sunday.

Given the conditions in mind, Bangladesh have gone with more pacers than usual with Taskin Ahmed being brought back into full fitness and he will only play the second Test.

"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.  Also, a couple of the pacers may join the A Team for the one-day matches and therefore we needed backups. Our attack has variety with bowlers who can bowl fast and also swing the ball and I am really looking forward to seeing them perform against world-class batters," Ashraf added.         

The Bangladesh team will leave for Pakistan on Monday for two ICC World Test Championship matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi. 

The first Test begins on 21 August while the second match starts on 30 August. 

The squad will assemble in Lahore and will train at the Gaddafi Stadium from 14-16 August before travelling to Islamabad on 17 August for the first Test.

"Pakistan are very tough opponents, especially in their home front and it will be a challenging tour for us. It is good that we will get additional time to prepare in Lahore. Also, some players who are in Pakistan already with the Bangladesh A side, will join the national team for the Test series. Their experience of the conditions should come in handy," Ashraf concluded. 

FULL SQUAD

Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed