Joy, Raja get maiden call-up as BCB announces squad for first Test
Allrounder Shakib Al Hasan is also included in the squad but will have his fitness assessed before being considered for the first Test.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the squad for the opening match of the Alesha Holdings Test series against Pakistan starting in Chattogram on 26 November. The squad was announced through a press release on Monday after the T20I series came to an end.
There are first call ups to the squad for 21-year old Chittagong Division batsman Mahmudul Hasan Joy and pacer Rejaur Rahman Raja. Joy has made a promising start to his first-class career with two hundreds already in the ongoing National Cricket League.
Sylhet pacer Rejaur Rahman Raja has represented the BCB HP and Emerging Teams and has returned 33 wickets in 10 first-class matches for Sylhet Division and Islami Bank East Zone.
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"It is still early days for him but Mahmudul has shown good temperament for the longer version. He is also an in-form batsman. With injury concerns to 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," Chief Selector Minhajul Abedin said.
Allrounder Shakib Al Hasan is also included in the squad but will have his fitness assessed before being considered for the first Test. The second Test will be in Dhaka from 04-08 December.
"There is a fair bit of experience if you consider that Mominul (Haque), Mushfiqur (Rahim), Shakib, Taijul (Islam) and Miraz (Mehidy Hasan) are all 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," added Minhajul Abedin.
"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," he concluded.
