Nasir comeback on the cards
The selectors are going to announce the 14-member squad today for the first Test against Australia set to start from August 27 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium and it was learned that allrounder Nasir Hossain and pacer Shafiul Islam are all set to make comebacks to the squad.
The squad for the series will be named today, with Australia arriving in the capital last night.
Nasir has performed brilliantly in domestic cricket since being left out of the national side and managed to make a comeback in the ODI side during the tri-nation earlier this year against New Zealand. He played the last of his 17 Tests against South Africa two years ago at home.
The 25-year-old also struck a fifty in the Tigers' practice match in Chittagong recently, which has apparently brought him back into contention.
On the other hand pacer Shafiul Islam, who last played a Test against England last year is also set to make a comeback in the squad after his brilliant five-wicket haul in the practice game where he bowled with pace and impressed the selectors.
However, uncertainty still lurks around Test regulars Mahmudullah Riyad and Mominul Haque's places in the squad, but Mosaddek Hossain who is still under observation for an eye problem, could well make way for one of the two, neither of whom were in the playing 11 for Bangladesh's last Test against Sri Lanka in mid-March.
Mosaddek, who had a good outing on his Test debut during that prestigious 100th Test for Bangladesh, missed out on the Chittagong phase of the training camp due to his eye problem, and the selectors will be looking to have a back-up for the youngster ahead of the first Test.
On the other hand pacers Subhasish Roy, Rubel Hossain and Kamrul Islam Rabbi are likely to be dropped from the previous Test squad in Sri Lanka.
That means the home team are going with three pacers -- Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Shafiul Islam – in the squad for the first Test.
Liton Das is expected to be included as the wicketkeeping understudy for skipper Mushfiqur Rahim.
Meanwhile, after a lot of confusion and uncertainty, the Australians arrived in Dhaka last nightto take part in the two-match Test series.
Steve Smith and his troops are will play a two-day tour game against BCB XI from August 22 still scheduled at the currently water-logged Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah. The visitors will travel to Chittagong on September 1 where they will take part in the second Test from September 4.
Comments