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The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced their squad for the upcoming tour of Pakistan, which includes star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib had previously confirmed his availability for the Test series against Pakistan. However, his participation has been met with some controversy due to his past political involvement.
Shakib Al Hasan included in Bangladesh's Test squad
As a former Member of Parliament with the Awami League, Shakib faced significant criticism from fans who were unhappy with his return to the national team. The controversy surrounding Shakib intensified because of his silence during the anti-quota student protests, which evolved into a widespread movement contributing to the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government.
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Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the chairman of the selection panel, discussed the process behind choosing the squad for the upcoming Test series. He emphasised that the panel's focus was on selecting the best available players for the team. Hossain highlighted that their goal was to ensure that the team was well-prepared and composed of the most capable players for the series.
"The emphasis was on picking our best players for this version. This is a well-balanced squad. The likes of Mushfiqur (Rahim), Mominul (Haque) and Shakib (Al Hasan) have played 216 matches combined and there is no substitute for that kind of experience. Taijul (Islam) and Miraz (Mehidy Hasan) have been leading the spin department for a long time and have over 350 wickets between them. We also expect Shanto (Najmul Hossain), Litton (Das) and the other batters to step up because to be competitive against Pakistan, we will need a team effort," Ashraf told the media on Sunday.
Taskin Ahmed to participate in 2nd Test only
Considering the conditions, Bangladesh has opted to include a higher number of pacers than usual. Taskin Ahmed, who has recently returned to full fitness, is part of the squad but will only participate in the second Test.
"We have selected five pacers mindful of the fact that Taskin Ahmed will only play the second Test. He hasn't bowled in a Test since June last year and we have decided to include him in the A Team for the second four-dayer against Pakistan A to get him into the rhythm for longer version matches. Also, a couple of the pacers may join the A Team for the one-day matches and therefore we needed backups. Our attack has variety with bowlers who can bowl fast and also swing the ball and I am really looking forward to seeing them perform against world-class batters," Ashraf added.
The Bangladesh team is set to depart for Pakistan on Monday to compete in two ICC World Test Championship matches scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi and Karachi. The first Test is slated to begin on August 21, with the second match starting on August 30. Before heading to Islamabad for the first Test, the squad will gather in Lahore and undergo training at the Gaddafi Stadium from August 14 to 16. They will then travel to Islamabad on August 17 to prepare for the opening Test.
Bangladesh's Test squad:
Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed.
Pakistan's Test squad:
Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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