BCB announces squad for second Test against WI

The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Tuesday announced squad for the second Test against visiting West Indies, scheduled to begin on Friday (November 30) at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium at Mirpur, reports BSS.

Opener Imrul Kayes is not included in the squad this time due to shoulder injury while Tamim Iqbal continues to recover from a side strain. The host, however, didn’t include any player in absence of Imrul making it likely that Shadman Islam will have a Test debut.

There was just one change as the selectors decided to go in with a winning combination. Islam, who has played 42 first-class games, has 3023 runs at an average of 47.50.

His innings of 73 runs against the visitors in the warm-up game helped him make it to the side. In his last six first-class games for Dhaka Metro, Islam has scored three half-centuries and two 150-plus scores which will help him move ahead.

Bangladesh’s game of musical chairs in the opening positions will thus continue; they have already employed four different pairs at the top in 2018.

Soumya Sarkar’s double failure in Chattogram will put him under more pressure, not to mention the added responsibility of likely opening with a newcomer.

Squad:

Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Soumya Sarker, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Ariful Haque, Khaled Ahmed and Shadman Islam.