The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Monday announced a 16-memer squad for the first match of the two-match Alesha Holdings Test series against Pakistan beginning in Chattogram on November 26. World famed All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and reliable batter Mushfiqur Rahim are there in the squad.  Mahmudul Hasan Joy, a 21-year-old Chittagong Division batsman, who has made a promising start in his first class career scoring two hundreds in the ongoing National Cricket League and Sylhet Division’s 22-year-old pacer Rejaur Rahman Raja, who represented the BCB HP and Emerging Teams and grabbed 33 wickets in 10 first class matches for Sylhet Division earned the first call-ups in the squad. READ: Mushfiqur rested, Akbar called as BCB announces T20Is squad vs Pakistan Shakib Al Hasan was included in the squad subject to his fitness before being considered for the first Test.  The second Test will be held in Dhaka from 04-08 December. On the inclusion of Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Rejaur Rahman Raja, Chairman of the National Selection Panel Minhajul Abedin said, “It is still early for him but Mahmudul has showed good temperament for the longer version. He is also an in-form batsman. With injury concerns about Taskin (Ahmed) and Shoriful (Islam), we needed to keep our pace bowling options open, and Raja got the nod. We have been monitoring his performances in first class competitions. He is strong and energetic and has a knack for taking wickets.” Regarding balance members of the team he said, “There is a fair bit of experiences if you consider that Mominul (Haque), Mushfiqur (Rahim), Shakib, Taijul (Islam) and Miraz (Mehidy Hasan). They all are part of the squad. We will obviously have to wait to see if Shakib makes it for the first Test but these players have been the most consistent performers for us in Tests and their presence can make a difference.” “We have options in the spin department as well as in pace. The team for the first Test is made up of cricketers who have been playing together regularly and they know the demands of Test matches. Pakistan are a formidable team but we are confident that Bangladesh will be competitive if we are disciplined and patient.”    READ: BCB form committee to review Bangladesh’s T20 WC failure          BANGLADESH SQUAD for First Test:  Mominul Haque (Captain), Shadman Islam,  Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Kumer Das, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi, Yasir Ali Rabbi, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Shakib Al Hasan (subject to being declared fit to play)

Experienced Mushfiqur Rahim has been rested as Bangladesh Cricket Board announced a 16-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Pakistan. To replace out-of-form Mushfiqur the BCB has called young Akbar Ali, the leader of Bangladesh’s U-19 World Cup victory last year in the squad announced on Tuesday afternoon. Along with Mushfiqur, Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das – all of them from the T20 World Cup team _ have also been axed from the squad with the latter two being out of the set-up due to their lean show in recent matches. Also read: Bangladesh vs. Pakistan Series 2021: T20I Ranking Prediction Right-arm pacer Rubel Hossain is also out of the T20I side. Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin are unavailable due to injuries. A total of six players who were Bangladesh’s part in the T20 World Cup have been omitted while four uncapped players— Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shohidul Islam and Akbar Ali-- have been included in the national team. Among the new faces, Saif Hassan has played in Tests, but the others are yet to don the national team jersey in any format of the game. The three-match T20I series will take place on November 19, 20 and 22 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Around 50 per cent of spectators of the total capacity of the Sher-e-Bangla will be allowed to enjoy the game in person at the stadium. However, the BCB is yet to announce the details about ticket sale. Also read: Rizwan reveals secrets of Pakistan’s strength in T20 WC After the T20 series, both the teams will take on each other in two-match Test series starting from November 26 in Chattogram, with the second Test to be played in Dhaka from December 4. It is going to be the first international cricket event for Bangladesh after the disastrous T20 World Cup campaign in Oman and UAE where Bangladesh lost six out of eight matches they played. Bangladesh squad for Pakistan T20Is: Mohammad Naeem, Saif Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Yasir Ali Rabbi, Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Nurul Hasan Sohan (wicketeeper), Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Aminul Islam Biplob, Mohammad Shohidul Islam and Akbar Ali (wicketkeeper).

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a 17-member team for the five-match T20I series against Australia starting from Tuesday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.  BCB has included Rubel Hossain, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain and Mohammad Mithun in the squad, all of them were out of the T20I squad during Bangladesh’s Zimbabwe tour last month. But they were in the bio-secure bubble of the Bangladesh team.  Read:Domingo disappointed over “stringent” rules keeping Mushfiq away The absence of the ace batsmen Mushfqiur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das has paved the way for Mosaddek and Mithun, who have been failing to do good for the Tigers for a long time.  In his last 10 innings in international cricket, Mosaddek passed the 50-run mark only once while he got dismissed for a single-digit score on three occasions with three scores under 15-run.  Mithun has also been failing regularly despite getting adequate chances. In his last 10 innings in the international circuit, Mithun failed to reach a two-digit score six times.  Read:Five-match T20Is: Australian cricket team arrives in Dhaka In the series against Australia, Bangladesh will be heavily reliant on young guns like Mohammad Saifuddin, Mohammad Naim, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan and Shamim Hossain.  In the last T20I series against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh’s newest T20I inclusion Shamim did really well. He drew the attention of many in just two innings he played for the Tigers.  While the opening match of this series will take place on August 3, the other matches will be played on August 4, 6, 7 and 9. All the matches will be hosted by the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.  Read:Bangladesh and Australia will play a five-match Twenty20 International series starting from August 3 Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah Riyad (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan (wk), Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam, Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Afif Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Shamim Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday announced a 21-member preliminary squad for Sri Lanka Tests, including three new faces. The final squad for this two-match Test series will be announced once the preliminary team arrives in Sri Lanka and plays an intra-squad practice game starting on April 17. The series will begin on April 21 with the first Test, and the second and final Test will start on April 29. Both the matches will be played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy. BCB included uncapped pace-bowlers Shohidul Islam, Shoriful Islam and Mukidul Islam Mugdho for this series while Shuvagata made a surprise comeback in the Test set-up after a four-year gap. Also read: Bangladesh Emerging Women seal series against South Africa Due to the Covid-19 situation, Bangladesh will have to play a practice match themselves. And this is why, BCB announced a 21-member squad for now, and the whole team will travel to Sri Lanka. “We’ve decided to take the preliminary squad to Sri Lanka as it would help us in our preparation and also give exposure to a number of players who are in our thinking for the longer version going forward,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin said in a statement.  “They (pace-bowlers) have been in our HP set-up and have impressed in whatever version they have played in. Mukidul and Shohidul in particular, have caught the eye in domestic First-class this season and are future Test prospects. They all have age on their side and are talented,” he added.  In the two rounds of the National Cricket League (NCL), which is currently on hold due to Covid-19 surge, Mukidul bagged 13 wickets with two five-wicket hauls while Shohidul took six wickets. Shoriful missed the NCL’s first two rounds as he was in New Zealand with the national team. Also read: Tigers return home after disastrous New Zealand tour  “Shuvagata is coming back after a while but he has been a consistent performer in First-class cricket. We’ve considered him as a batting all-rounder but his off-break bowling is pretty handy also and gives us an option in the spin department,” he said about the inclusion of Shuvagata. In the NCL, Shuvagata bagged seven wickets and scored 163 runs with a century.  Wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan Sohan also made a comeback in the Bangladesh Test set-up. He played his last Test in 2018 during Bangladesh’s West Indies tour.  21-member preliminary Test teamMominul Haque, Litton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed Rahi, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam Mugdho, Shuvagata Hom, Shohidul Islam and Nurul Hasan Sohan.