‘I was very surprised’, Razzak reveals

Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, who was recalled back to the national Test team after an absence of four years, says that he was very surprised by the Test call-up.

Following Shakib Al Hasan's injury, Razzak was included into 16-man squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh also recalled Sunzamul Islam and Tanbir Hayder.

When Akram Khan, the BCB director called him, the 35-year old was not clear about the unfolding scenario of a Test call up.

Over the last few years Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Jubair Hossain were picked ahead of him. Even when BCB first announced the squad for the first Test, Naeem Hasan an uncapped spinner was included ahead of Razzak, who recently reached 500-wicket mark in domestic cricket.

The left-armer informed that he was surprised when the team's logistic manager was congratulating him. This was not one of those times where he was looking forward to a Test call up.

"There are times you hope for something like this to happen, this wasn't one of those times.," Razzak said. "Yes, there is obvious matter of feeling good. But I was very surprised."

When chief selector Minhazul Abedin called him up, that was when Razzak really grasped the information that was being given to him. The chief selector suugested in today's press conference that the decision to bring on Razzak on not one that was taken in the spur of the moment.

"If he was not in our minds then ofcourse he wouldn't be in today's practice session at Chittagong. So one cannot say that the decision was taken suddenly." the chief selector said.

When Razzak last played a Test match for Bangladesh back in February 2014, his opponents were Sri Lanka and the match was at the same venue where Tigers will play their upcoming Test match – Chittagong's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.