The 22-year-old fast bowler from Bangladesh, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, earned his maiden call-up for Tests in the upcoming home series against Zimbabwe this month.
In the white ball formats, he has featured in 28 games for the country. He has been improving a lot recently and that is what warranted the selection.
However, Bangladesh will have to go without their other pace option Taskin Ahmad. He will miss out on the series due to a left Achilles Tendon issue. Litton Das is also unavailable due to his commitments in the Pakistan Super League. Shahadat Hossain, Hasan Murad, and Shoriful Islam have been left out of the team from the last Test squad.
Mushfiqur Rahim retired from the ODI format after the Champions Trophy 2025, but he will continue to be a part of the red ball team. The Test series with Zimbabwe will start from April 20 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Have a look at what Gazi Ashraf, the Chief Selector of Bangladesh had to say about it.
“Before finalizing the team, we always take feedback from our medical department and physiotherapists. Our pacers are carrying some injuries and need time to recover. The medical team clearly informed us that Taskin should not be considered for this series, as we have a busy calendar ahead. That’s why Taskin is not part of the squad for this Zimbabwe series.
“For the captain, selecting the playing XI will be challenging, especially in the absence of Liton Das at No. 6 or 7 – that creates a sweet dilemma. We have plenty of spin options – Mehidy Hasan Miraz as an all-rounder, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan. Four pacers are also there, providing more options. We saw in the Sri Lanka series that seamers did well in Sylhet, so that’s a factor. As a backup, Taijul offers value not just with the ball but with the bat – he batted well against Sri Lanka. Overall, all possible options have been kept available for the coach and captain to pick the best XI.”
Here is the Bangladesh squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe Tests.
Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahidul Islam Bhuiyan Ankon, Jaker Ali Anik (WK), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (VC), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib
