Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu said they will announce the Bangladesh Test squad for the ensuing home series against Zimbabwe on Sunday.

“We are yet to make our Test squad. We will sit tomorrow (Saturday) to finalise the squad,” said Minhajul Abedin Nannu.

“I hope if everything is okay, we could be declared on Sunday,” Nannu told The Independent over mobile phone.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hassan Papon held a closed-door meeting with the chief selector Nannu and Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo at the Beximco Pharmaceuticals office in the capital following Bangladesh team’s disheartening performance in Pakistan.

Actually since the last World Cup in England, Bangladesh played five series including series in Sri Lanka, Tri-series, Afghanistan series, series in India and Pakistan series where the Tigers won against Zimbabwe in Tri-series and T20I against India, the result that made the BCB worried.

During their two-hour-long meeting, they talked about different issues that delayed the announcement of the Bangladesh Test squad. Of them, the issue of the Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad became crucial for them because there was a confusion regarding Mushfiq’s participation in the home series after not being toured with the team in Pakistan.

But it’s learnt that a proposal has been given to Mushfiq if he is agreed to tour in Pakistan for the third phase, they will include him for the forthcoming home series against Zimbabwe. For this, the announcement of the Bangladesh squad for the imminent Test series is being delayed.

Time for Bangladesh in the Test has not gone well. They lost to Afghanistan and then conceded defeat to India in shocking fashion. Even the Tigers were thrashed by Pakistan with an innings margin. Their back has been pushed to the wall from where they have to come out. So there is nothing alternative to winning the Test against Zimbabwe. They want to break the losing streak beating Zimbabwe on home territory. They want to tour Pakistan for the third and last phase with winning note so that they can give a tough fight against new-look Pakistan and win the Test.

Mushfiqur Rahim is the only prop of the Bangladesh middle-order. So, they will wait for him if he is agreed to tour Pakistan, they will then include him for the Zimbabwe.  

It was being told from various fronts that the BCB will not break the team combination that they sent to Pakistan. But head coach Russell Domingo said they will wait for Rahim because there is no alternative to him in the team. But it’s also learnt that Riyad may escape this time around but he has to prove his worth and necessity with his game. The all-rounder has played 49 Tests for the country. He got the opportunity to complete half-century of Test matches as the sixth player in Bangladesh.