Bangladesh name 15-man squad for Afghanistan Test

Bangladesh have named a 15-member squad for their one-off Test against Afghanistan in the UAE next month, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz appointed vice-captain alongside skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto.

The Test will begin on October 9 in the UAE as Bangladesh prepare for another important assignment in their red-ball calendar.

The squad includes experienced campaigners Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Litton Das and Mehidy, while Tanzid Hasan, Shadman Islam, Tawhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali are also part of the group.

The pace department features Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam. Taijul Islam is the other specialist spinner in the main squad.

Soumya Sarkar has also been included, while the batting group is completed by Najmul, Tanzid, Shadman, Mominul, Mushfiqur, Litton, Hridoy and Jaker.

Three more bowlers will travel with the squad as reserves. Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan and pacers Musfik Hasan and Iqbal Hossain Emon have been named as travelling reserves.

The selection gives Bangladesh several bowling options for conditions in the UAE, with four specialist fast bowlers in the main squad alongside two frontline spinners.

For Ebadot, the tour could provide another important step in his return to international cricket after a long absence caused by injury.

His inclusion alongside Hasan, Khaled and Shoriful gives Bangladesh additional pace options for the one-off Test.

The Afghanistan match will be Bangladesh's next Test assignment after their historic series in Australia, where they drew 1-1 and secured a memorable victory in Darwin.

The UAE Test is also part of Bangladesh's preparations for a busy period of red-ball cricket. They are scheduled to face West Indies and South Africa at home later in the year, making the Afghanistan match an opportunity to assess combinations ahead of that demanding run.

Bangladesh's squad is therefore a blend of established Test players, returning options and players looking to strengthen their claims in the longer format.

With only one Test against Afghanistan, there will be little room for experimentation once the match begins.
The focus will be on translating Bangladesh's recent progress in Test cricket into another strong performance in the UAE.