Former Bangladesh captain and allrounder Shakib Al Hasan’s return to Bangladesh has become uncertain as student protesters burned his effigy on Wednesday. Shakib has earlier said that he wants to play the last Test match of his career in Dhaka, in front of the home crowd. Shakib has been named in Bangladesh's squad for the upcoming Test series against South Africa, with the first match set for October 21 in Mirpur. Shakib included in squad for South Africa Test According to sources within the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Shakib is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Thursday at 11:20 p.m. However, his return now appears uncertain due to Wednesday’s protests and the threat of more demonstrations. A high government official confirmed to UNB that concerns over public anger have led to advisories against Shakib’s coming to Dhaka for his own safety. A leader of the protesting student group, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they intend to submit a letter to the BCB headquarters on Thursday afternoon, urging the board to prevent Shakib from entering the stadium. No legal bar for Shakib to return home: Adviser Asif The group has also called on more students and protesters to join them at the BCB headquarters. Earlier, Asif Mahmud, the sports adviser for Bangladesh’s interim government, assured that necessary security arrangements would be provided for Shakib and suggested that he clarify his political stance. In response, Shakib issued an apology on social media for his silence during the protests in July and August against the previous government led by Sheikh Hasina, who was viewed as autocratic. Shakib Al Hasan ‘sorry for silence’ during student movement After the student-led protests ousted the Sheikh Hasina government, of which Shakib was a member, hundreds of legal cases were filed against the leaders of the Sheikh Hasina party, including Shakib.  

The Afghanistan Cricket Team is coming to Bangladesh in two stages to play one Test, three ODIs, and two T20 series. Afghans will arrive in Dhaka on June 10. Only one Test match will be held on June 14 in Mirpur ground. Bangladesh will play the Test against the Afghans, who are full of spin power. Earlier in 2019, Bangladesh lost the only Test played against them on a spin-friendly wicket in Chittagong. Bangladesh Cricket Board has announced the squad for the upcoming 2023 BAN vs AFG Test match. Bangladesh Test Squad Against Afghanistan Litton Das (c), Tamim Iqbal, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shahadat Hossain, Musfik Hasan. BAN vs AFG Series 2023 Test Squad Analysis Litton Das has been appointed as the captain of the Bangladesh team for the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan. This decision comes in the wake of Shakib Al Hasan’s absence due to a finger injury he sustained during the ODI series against Ireland in Chelmsford last month. Shakib’s recovery period is estimated to be at least six weeks. Litton Das will be leading a 15-member squad, which includes Shahadat Hossain and Musfik Hasan, both of whom are yet to make their international debut. Read more: Shakib surprises team with visit to practice camp ahead of Afghanistan Test Shahadat, a talented player, was part of the Bangladesh team that emerged victorious in the Under-19 World Cup in 2020. Since then, he has showcased his skills and excelled in domestic tournaments. Primarily a middle-order batsman, he has impressed with his performance, scoring two half-centuries in two unofficial Test matches against West Indies A. Musfik, an emerging fast bowler, made a remarkable entry into the cricket scene with an impressive performance in the 2022-23 National Cricket League. He took 25 wickets during the season, maintaining an outstanding average of 15.92. One of his notable achievements was his exceptional performance against Dhaka Division, where he took 8 wickets for 73 runs. This remarkable achievement marked only the third instance of an eight-wicket haul in domestic first-class cricket in Bangladesh. Taskin Ahmed, who had been previously excluded from the squad for the Ireland Test due to a side strain, has now returned to the squad. Additionally, Zakir Hasan is also included in the team after missing the Ireland Test in April. Zakir had encountered a thumb injury after being selected for the ODI squad for the first time in March. As a result of their return, Shadman Islam has been left out of the squad, and both Shakib Al Hasan and Rejaur Rahman Raja were also excluded from the previous squad. Read more: Litton to Lead Bangladesh in Afghanistan Test Key Players of Bangladesh Squad in the 2023 BAN vs AFG Test Although Bangladesh’s iconic player, Shakib Al Hasan, is out of the test match, other key players such as Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam will be in the team. Najmul Hossain Shanto Debuted in 2017, Shanto has played 22 test matches so far. The most recent was against Ireland. However, he couldn’t shine in the last Test. But overall, he scored 1013 runs from 22 matches. One of Shanto’s most outstanding test performances came against Sri Lanka in 2021. He scored 163 runs in one inning, which is his best test performance so far. With his recent form, it can be said that Shanto has a great chance to show his class once again against the Afghans. Mushfiqur Rahim Mushfiqur has been in great form recently. Mushfiqur Rahim displayed an outstanding performance as he overcame Bangladesh’s mid-innings troubles and delivered a rapid half-century, securing a comprehensive seven-wicket triumph over Ireland in the recent Dhaka test. Mushfiqur emerged as the highest scorer for the home team, amassing 51 runs with the help of seven fours. Read more: New Zealand to visit Bangladesh in November for 2-Test series Before that, he scored 126 runs in the first innings. So, we might see something great like that against Afghanistan too. However, he scored only 23 runs in the only Test against the Afghans in 2019. Overall, Rahim has played 85 test matches and scored 5498 runs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz In his last match against the Irish, Miraz scored 55 runs after batting in one inning and took only 2 wickets. However, Miraz’s test cricket batting performance has been commendable throughout his career spanning from 2016 to 2023. In a total of 38 matches, he has batted in 70 innings, accumulating an impressive tally of 1197 runs. His highest score of 103 demonstrates his ability to convert starts into substantial innings. His bowling figure is also impressive. In 38 Test matches, he has bowled in 65 innings and has taken 148 wickets. His ability to have a consistent wickets-taking mentality has made him a vital asset for the Bangladesh team. Read more: Bangladesh Sets Their Sights on World Cup: Nic Pothas Taskin Ahmed So far, Taskin only played 12 test matches and 26 wickets in total. Despite being less experienced in tests, he is still considered one of the key bowlers for upcoming tests. Taskin’s best bowling performance on 4/21 in one inning came in 2021 against Sri Lanka. Taskin’s most recent Test appearance was against India on December 22. But he couldn’t give the expected performance and took only one wicket. He was coming back from an injury and missed the Ireland test. Hence, fans are expecting that he will give his best to prove himself, as he proved in the previous ODI series. Final Words Afghanistan has played in six Test matches, achieving a balanced record of three wins and three losses, resulting in an overall winning percentage of 50.00. So, as a newcomer in Test cricket, Afghans have been doing great. Previously Bangladesh played a test match in 2019, which was a defeat for the Tigers. So, it is evident that Bangladesh will try to balance the head-to-head test record in the 2023 Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Test match. Read more: BAN vs AFG Series 2023: Fixtures, Schedules, Teams, Head-to-Head Records

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 14-member squad on Saturday for the only Test match against Ireland, which will take place in Dhaka from April 4. Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das, who are set to play for Kolkata Knight Riders in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL), have been included in the team. Their participation in the IPL will be delayed due to their commitment to the national team. Shadman Islam has been selected to make a comeback to the Test team after an injury to Zakir Hasan. Before the Test match, Bangladesh played against Ireland in a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series, winning both contests. Ireland's only win in the series came in the last T20I in Chattogram. Also read: BCB election 2021: 32 candidates submit nomination papers Bangladesh Test squad: Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Litton Das (Vice Captain), Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, and Mahmudul Hasan Joy.

Kane Williamson and tailender Ish Sodhi dug in — much to the frustration of Pakistan — as New Zealand moved ahead by 81 runs on the fourth day of the first cricket test on Thursday. Williamson, who completed his first test hundred in almost two years late on Day 2, was not out on 137 off 308 balls while Sodhi was unbeaten on 41 off 127 balls in his comeback test match after four years. New Zealand reached 519-6 at lunch. Read more: Liton becomes highest ranked Bangladesh Test batter ever Williamson has fully capitalized on two stumping chances early in his innings and now has batted for nearly eight hours, hitting 12 fours. Sodhi was closing in on his fourth test half century and showed plenty of determination with the bat on a slow turning wicket. Resuming on 440-6 with a lead of two runs, both batters didn’t get troubled against spinners Abrar Ahmed (3-172) and Nauman Ali (2-154), who have bowled bulk of the overs. Pakistan couldn’t get through the defenses of both overnight batters even after taking the third new ball with Sodhi hitting three boundaries against seamer Mir Hamza on the off side of the wicket. Hamza, also making a comeback after playing his only previous test against Australia in 2018, could have got his first wicket in the penultimate over before the break but Pakistan didn’t appeal as the TV replays suggested he got a thin outside edge of Sodhi’s bat. New Zealand’s lead was 24 when Nauman came close to dismissing Williamson on 116 in his second over of the day. But Williamson quickly went for a successful television referral against umpire Aleem Dar’s lbw ruling after he missed a full-length delivery down the legside and the TV replays suggested the ball had pitched outside the off stump. Both Abrar and Nauman also induced top edges that landed close to fielders as New Zealand continued to build its lead on its first test tour Pakistan since 2002.

Bangladesh suffered a disastrous defeat in the first match of the two-match series against India in Chattogram. They were unable to display the batting prowess that is essential for a successful Test match performance. The hosts needed a marathon effort in order to draw the match or triumphantly reach 241 runs with only four remaining wickets. In the end, this proved to be an insurmountable task. In pursuit of an imposing 513 runs in the fourth innings of the match, Bangladesh fell short with a final score of 324, having started from a paltry 150 in the first innings -- thus resulting in a humiliating 188-run defeat. Zakir Hasan, the left-handed batter, delivered a stunning debut century, while Shakib Al Hasan scored 84. Najmul Hossain Shanto rebounded brilliantly from a first-ball duck in the first innings by notching 67; unfortunately, the rest of the Bangladeshi batters were unable to stand firm against the relentless Indian bowling attack. Axar Patel was the best bowler for the visiting team in the second innings, taking four wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with three of his own. In the initial innings of the match, India mustered up 404 runs after winning the toss. Cheteshwar Pujara was the star of the batting show with a well-composed 90, while Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin also added to the run tally with respective scores of 86 and 58. For Bangladesh, Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged four wickets each. In response, Bangladesh crumbled to 150 all-out. The Bangladeshi batsmen were flummoxed by the quality spin of Kuldeep, who scalped five wickets for 40 runs, while Mohammad Siraj also made his presence felt with three wickets of his own. In their second innings of the match, India declared at 258 for two with Shubman Gill registering his maiden Test century and Pujara notching up yet another ton. Ultimately, they set an immense target of 513 runs for Bangladesh, with only five sessions to attempt a miraculous chase. This total was uncharted territory for Bangladesh in the fourth innings of a Test match. Kuldeep rightly earned the player of the match accolade for his stellar eight-wicket haul in the match. The second and concluding Test of the series will commence in Dhaka on December 22nd.  

The West Indies started their first innings of the Lucia Test 234 runs behind Bangladesh and finished it 174 runs ahead at the Daren Sammy Stadium Sunday. Kyle Mayers' epic knock of 146 came to an end as he fell to Khaled Ahmed on day three. It was Khaled's fourth wicket in the innings. Bangladesh picked up two wickets in the first session of the day before the rain came in. Read: Batters should learn from West Indies: Domingo In the rain-hit first session, the West Indies added 36 runs with their overnight total of 340 for five and lost two more wickets. The hosts had lost four wickets for 132 runs. But Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood and Joshua Da Silva stood firm to strike back and secure a first-innings lead for the hosts. Earlier, Bangladesh scored 234 in the first innings with only a 50 from Liton Das. All of Bangladesh's first five batters managed to have good starts, but they failed to carry on. At the end of day two, Bangladesh's head coach Russell Domingo had said the batters should learn from the West Indies. The hosts won the first Test of the ongoing series, which is a part of the ICC World Test Championship.  

Bangladesh are in trouble in the second Test of the two-match series against South Africa. At the end of day three, Bangladesh are still 386 runs short of the target set for them with only seven wickets in hand, at 27 for three in 9.1 overs. The visitors might face the same fate they endured in Durban losing a Test by 220 runs after a batting collapse in the second innings when they tumbled for 53. In pursuit of a huge target of 413, Bangladesh lost three early wickets— Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Tamim Iqbal. Joy had a century in the first match, but in the second, he suffered a pair of ducks. Also read: Mehidy escapes injury scare after being hit on stomach Two of the three wickets Bangladesh lost went to the bag of Keshav Maharaj while Simon Harmer also got his first removing Tamim— whose dismissal ended play. With a first-innings lead of 236 runs, South Africa declared their second innings on 176 for six, and they set a big target of 413 that Bangladesh never chased in their Test history. When Mehidy Hasan Miraz Wiaan Mulder for six, Dean Elgar, the captain of South Africa, declared the innings with around half an hour to play before the end of the day. In reply to South Africa’s first innings of 453, Bangladesh tumbled for 217 despite having some good batting display from some batters who failed to carry on with a positive mind. All of Tamim, Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali passed the 40-run mark, but only Mushfiqur was able to reach a fifty. He, however, ended his innings with a fancy reverse sweep which looked awkward at that moment of the match. Also read:SA vs BAN Second Test 2022: Taijul Islam Reaches Unique Milestone However, Taijul Islam continued to prove his ability on the soil of South Africa taking three more wickets in the second innings of the hosts. His wickets tally in this Test ended with nine for 202— his best match return away from home in Tests.

South Africa raced to a 220-run victory in the first test after Bangladesh’s collapse to 53 all out on the morning of the final day on Monday. Bangladesh lasted only 19 overs in its second innings and South Africa needed only two bowlers to roll the tourists out. Read: Taskin, Shoriful out of 2nd South Africa Test They were both spinners, with left-armer Keshav Maharaj collecting 7-32 and offspinner Simon Harmer 3-21. It was a surprisingly sudden end to the match after Bangladesh had hopes of possibly pulling off its first test victory over South Africa by needing 274 runs in the final innings. But the tourists slumped to 11-3 at the close of play on Day 4 and the wickets continued to tumble dramatically on the morning of Day 5. Read: Australia Clinch ICC Women's World Cup 2022: Alyssa Healy Sets New Record Najmul Hossain Shanto (26) and tailender Taskin Ahmed (14) were the only Bangladesh batters to reach double figures and South Africa needed less than an hour of play on Monday to take those remaining seven wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the two-test series.

Sri Lankan Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne brings up his second consecutive Test ton in the second and final Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh in Kandy on Thursday.  He was dropped by Najmul Hossain Shanto at the slip region when he was 28. Karunaratne exploited the chance of hitting  a ton. Also Read: Sri Lanka off to cautious start as Bangladesh miss early chances  At the Tea break of the first day, Sri Lanka were batting at 188 for none in 58 overs with Karunaratne and his opening partner Lahiru Thirimanne were batting at 108 and 80 respectively.  It was the 12th Test hundred for Karunaratne, the highest by any active Sri Lankan player.  The wicket looked fairly dead in this Test as well. In the first Test, the wicket was flat and bowlers had nothing to get from the track.  The International Cricket Council has rated the wicket as below average due to its failure to provide a balanced opportunity to the batsmen and bowlers. The ground has awarded one demerit point as well.  Also Read: Sri Lanka bat first, Shoriful makes Test debut In the first session of the day, Bangladeshi bowlers were more disciplined, but in the second, they seemed to be a bit random and aimless. The first Test of the series ended in a draw, where Karunaratne had smashed a double-ton. Bangladesh’s Najmul and Mominul Haque had also hit a ton each.  Bangladesh made one change in this game including debutant Shorfiul Islam to replace Ebadot Hossain while Sri Lanka made two changes adding Lakshan Sandakan and Chamika Karunaratne to their squad to replace Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madushanka. Chamika Karunaratne made his debut with this game. 

After the contentious two-day test gave India a 2-1 series lead against England, the series and the World Test Championship equations are simple ahead of the fourth cricket test at Ahmedabad.