Selectors of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) named pace prodigy Mustafizur Rahman in the 16-member Test squad for the upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. Mustafiz, though returned to cricket with shorter versions in New Zealand after his surgery on injured left shoulder, is yet to play in the longer version cricket. Selection Panel Chairman Minhajul Abedin Nannu announced his name along with other 15 players at the reporters-packed press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
“He (Mustafiz) improved enough after coming home from New Zealand. For this, we had suggested him to play two consecutive rounds of the BCL so that we could see his condition after eight-day games. We have seen his improvement in second day of the second round, where he bowled well in previous rhythm. I think he will face no difficulty to play in three formats,” said Minhajul Abedin. Along with Mustafiz, paceman Rubel Hossain also recalled up for the series. Returning to the national fold after a long-spell injury layoff, Rubel played well in shorter formats in New Zealand but his performance was not up to the mark in first Test match, where he conceded 65 runs for no wicket. For this he was dropped out of the second and last Test of the series alongside the historical one-off Test against India.