Chief Selector's Explanation on Bangladesh's Test Squad for the Pakistan Series

On Sunday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan through a press release. Notably, Shakib Al Hasan has been included in the squad, and after a long hiatus, pacer Taskin Ahmed has returned to the Test lineup. Chief Selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu provided insights into the selection decisions.

In the press release, Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu stated, "The emphasis was on selecting our best players for this format. It is a well-balanced squad. Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, and Shakib Al Hasan have played a combined total of 216 matches, and there is no substitute for such experience in Test cricket. Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have been leading the spin department for a long time, with over 350 wickets between them. We expect Najmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Kumar Das, and other batters to step up as well. Competing against Pakistan requires a collective team effort."

Explaining the decision to include five pacers for the two-Test series, the Chief Selector added, "We selected five pacers because Taskin Ahmed will only play in the second Test. He hasn't bowled in a Test since June of last year, and to get him back into rhythm for the longer format, we decided to include him in the 'A' team for the second four-day match against Pakistan A. Additionally, some pacers might join the 'A' team for the one-day matches, so we needed backups. We have bowlers in our squad who can bowl fast and swing the ball, and I am really looking forward to seeing how they perform against world-class batters."

Bangladesh was initially scheduled to depart for Pakistan on August 17 for the series. However, they will now be leaving earlier, on August 12. The team will arrive in Islamabad on August 17 and train from August 18-20. Regarding the extra preparation time, Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu remarked:

"Pakistan is a very strong opponent, especially on their home soil, and this will be a challenging tour for us. It’s good that we will have extra time to prepare in Lahore. Moreover, some players who are already in Pakistan with the Bangladesh 'A' team will join the national squad for the Test series. Their experience will be valuable."

The first Test will take place in Rawalpindi from August 21, while the second and final Test will be held in Karachi, starting on August 30.

Bangladesh's Test Squad Against Pakistan:

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 (for the second Test)
Syed Khaled Ahmed

Pakistan's Test Squad Against Bangladesh:

Shan Masood (Captain)
Saud Shakeel (Vice-Captain)
Aamir Jamal (fitness-dependent)
Abdullah Shafique
Abrar Ahmed
Babar Azam
Kamran Ghulam
Khurram Shehzad
Mir Hamza
Mohammad Ali
Mohammad Huraira
Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper)
Naseem Shah
Saim Ayub
Salman Ali Agha
Sarfaraz Ahmed (Wicketkeeper)
Shaheen Shah Afridi.