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BCB names Test squad for Lanka tour

June 05, 2007 00:00:00


Chief selector of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Faruque Ahmed Monday announced a 15-member Bangladesh Test squad for the forthcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, reports BSS.

The three-member selection panel, which also comprises Athar Ali Khan and newly appointed selector former national captain Akram Khan, also named five more cricketers to join the team for the three-match one-day series after the Test series ended.

Bangladesh team are scheduled to leave home on June 17 for a five-week tour to Sri Lanka.

After the Test series, five cricketers will join the team for playing three-match one-day series but it is not yet decided which players will be left out for the one- dayers, chief selector Faruque Ahmed said at a news conference at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

"We don't want to disclose which players will be brought back after the Test series. The decision has not yet been taken because we want to observe the players performances in the Test matches," Ahmed said.

The newly appointed Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful has been given the best possible team of the time for his first assignment as a team leader, the chief selector added.

Ashraful's deputy speedster Mashrafe Mortaza will lead the Bangladesh attack with the company of pacemen Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain and Mohammad Sharif, who returned to the Test side after an injury-induced five years' lay-off and did not make much impact in his only test against India.

"We wanted to take four pacers for the Test squad and we consider Sharif ahead of Taposh Baishya because Baishya is yet to recover his full fitness to play in test matches," Ahmed said.

Three leftarm spinners have been included in the Test squad.

Experienced Mohammad Rafiqe, young Abdur Razzak and allrounder Shakib Al Hasan will roll their arms to baffle the Lankans in the Test series.

Javed Omar and Shahriar Nafees are likely to open Bangladesh innings, though, the inclusion of Nafees raised question from the sports scribes.

But the chief selector said it is fact Nafees failed in the World Cup and the series against India but he did well against Australia 13 months back. "Considering his previous performances we have felt that Nafees could be given another chance."

Habibul Bashar and Rajin Saleh are the notable middle order batsmen along with Ashraful, while Khaled Mashud and Mushfiqur Rahim both have been chosen for the test squad, considering their ability to add some runs in need as middle order batsmen.

Question also arises on the omission of Tushar Imran from the Test squad, though the batsman has been considered for the one-dayers.

"We have excluded Tushar from the Test squad to make place for Mushfiqur Rahim. We have chosen Mushfiq as a backup wicketkeeper, who also can bat well. However, we are giving Tushar a chance in the one-dayers," Ahmed added.

The only new face in the team is Mahmudullah Riyad, who has been chosen for the one-dayers.


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