New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) Bangladesh have reshaped their squads across formats ahead of a busy international stretch, recalling their premier fast-bowling trio of Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, and Mustafizur Rahman for the upcoming T20I series against Australia while simultaneously rewarding Towhid Hridoy with a long-awaited place in the Test setup.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) unveiled separate squads for the three-match T20I contest against Australia in Chattogram and the subsequent one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Harare, with several notable inclusions and omissions reflecting both immediate priorities and long-term planning.

Leading the headlines is the return of frontline quicks Taskin, Nahid, and Mustafizur to the T20I squad. The trio’s comeback significantly strengthens Bangladesh’s pace department after Taskin and Rana were rested during the previous T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year.

Their return comes at the expense of several seam-bowling options. Tanzim Hasan Shakib, Ripon Mondol, and Mohammad Saifuddin have all missed out despite featuring during the New Zealand series, as selectors opted to restore their first-choice attack ahead of the challenge posed by Australia. The pace unit will also include Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, who was part of the squad against New Zealand but did not feature in any of the matches.

Away from the T20 format, the most intriguing development is the elevation of Towhid Hridoy into Bangladesh’s red-ball plans. The aggressive batter has built considerable international experience in white-ball cricket since debuting in 2023, featuring in 52 ODIs and 59 T20Is, but has yet to play a Test match.

His inclusion in the 15-member squad for the Zimbabwe Test reflects the selectors’ desire to inject greater attacking intent into the batting line-up. Despite relatively limited first-class exposure, Hridoy has shown enough promise to earn consideration, scoring three centuries in 16 first-class appearances.

Hridoy’s responsibilities have also increased in the T20I setup. Chief selector Habibul Bashar confirmed that the batter will serve as vice-captain under Litton Kumar Das after Saif Hassan stepped down from the role to concentrate on his own performances.

The Test squad also features uncapped medium-pacer Robiul Haque, who continues to impress on the domestic circuit. Robiul has accumulated 107 wickets and 620 runs in 32 first-class matches and is viewed as a player capable of developing into a genuine pace-bowling all-rounder. Experienced seamer Khaled Ahmed has also been recalled.

Meanwhile, several established names have been left out of the Zimbabwe Test as part of Bangladesh’s workload-management strategy. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, and Nahid Rana have all been rested, with team management continuing to rotate players across formats during a packed international calendar.

Bangladesh’s immediate focus will be the three-match T20I series against Australia, scheduled for June 17, 19, and 21 in Chattogram. The Test contingent will then depart for Zimbabwe on June 23 ahead of the one-off encounter in Harare, which begins on June 28.

With experienced quicks returning to spearhead the T20I attack and Hridoy receiving his first opportunity in the longest format, the squad announcements signal Bangladesh’s attempt to balance present-day competitiveness with the development of future all-format options.

T20I squad against Australia: Litton Kumar Das (c), Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Mohammad Saif Hassan, Shamim Hossain, Towhid Hridoy (vc), Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain.

Test squad against Zimbabwe: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Kumar Das, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Towhid Hridoy, Amite Hasan, Robiul Haque.

–IANS

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