Pan Pacific Sonargaon Test Series 2004 Bangladesh vs. New Zealand
Bashar misses Chittagong Test
Sports Reporter
Habibul Bashar has been ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand after selectors announced a 13-member squad for the Chittagong match yesterday. The Bangladesh captain had to sit out the first Test that saw the home team crash to an innings and 99-run defeat at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Friday. The 32-year-old premier batsman is yet to recover from an injured right thumb, which he recently underwent surgery on in Australia. This is the first time that Bashar, who has scored five of Bangladesh's eight centuries in the five-day contest, will miss an entire Test series since the country played its first Test against Indian in November 2000. The absence of Bashar means wicketkeeper-batsman Khaled Mashud will lead a side that makes three changes for the second Test starting in the port city on October 26. The selectors dropped opener Hannan Sarker, who scored just one in two innings at Dhaka. Right-arm seamer Alamgir Kabir was axed without being played in the first Test. Aftab Ahmed and Enamul Haq are the two new inclusions in the side. After making his one-day debut in the ICC Champions Trophy in England, Aftab gets a real opportunity to make a debut in the longer version in his backyard. The young right-hander, regarded as a fine stroke-maker, is expected to join his under-19 mate Nafees Iqbal. Aftab came into the reckoning with Bashar expressing his inability to play in the second and final Test at the MA Aziz Stadium. Left-arm spinner Enamul Haq received a welcome call-up after recovering from an injury. He played his last Test against England at Chittagong exactly a year ago. The selection panel was tempted to take an extra spinner after slow bowlers dominated the Dhaka Test. Enamul has played only two Tests so far despite travelling with the team to Zimbabwe and West Indies. However selectors' faith in pace Man Tareq Aziz Khan, who had an ordinary outing in the first Test, remains a mystery. Not only that he failed to claim a single New Zealand wicket and was also wayward, conceding 59 runs in 12 overs. The selectors also had no choice but to retain out-of-form Alok Kapali, whose contribution was 14 and 0 in two innings at the Big Bowl. SQUAD
Khaled Mashud (captain), Rajin Saleh, Javed Omar, Mohammad Ashraful, Manzarul Islam, Tapash Baisya, Mushfiqur Rahman, Mohammad Rafique, Tariq Aziz, Nafees Iqbal, Alok Kapali, Aftab Ahmed and Enamul Haq.
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