Bangladesh have named uncapped opener Mahfijul Islam Robin and recalled Mohammad Naim Sheikh in a 16-man squad for the two Tests in South Africa, after Shadman Islam was ruled out with a tear and a fracture in his ankle. Chief selector Habibul Bashar announced the squad in Sylhet on Monday, The Daily Star reported.
The other change points straight at the Highveld. Fast bowler Khaled Ahmed replaces off-spinner Nayeem Hasan, which gives Najmul Hossain Shanto five seamers for a first Test at the Wanderers that starts on 15 November, six days after the Sylhet Test ends.
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Key points
- Uncapped Mahfijul Islam Robin and Naim Sheikh, last capped in 2022, replace the injured Shadman Islam
- Pacer Khaled Ahmed comes in for spinner Nayeem Hasan; Amite Hasan also misses out
- The first Test starts at the Wanderers on 15 November, the second at Centurion on 23 November
Robin and Naim in, Amite and Nayeem out
Robin, 22, has three hundreds and two fifties for Mymensingh in the National Cricket League this season, including a double hundred against Chattogram Division. Bashar said the selectors wanted a right-handed opener: “We brought in Robin because we needed a right-handed opener.”
Naim last played a Test against New Zealand in 2022. He is the NCL’s second-highest run-scorer this season and has already been to South Africa with Bangladesh A, so he is the likelier of the two to open with Tanzid Hasan at the Wanderers, with Robin as the back-up.
Amite Hasan, who came in at Sylhet for the concussed Mominul Haque, drops out as Mominul returns. Mahmudul Hasan Joy was not considered because of injury. On Shadman, Bashar was blunt: “When he returns to Dhaka, we will assess the timeframe for his return, but he is definitely out of the South Africa series.”
| In | Out |
|---|---|
| Mahfijul Islam Robin (uncapped) | Shadman Islam (ankle fracture) |
| Mohammad Naim Sheikh | Amite Hasan |
| Khaled Ahmed | Nayeem Hasan |
Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vice-captain), Tanzid Hasan, Mohammad Naim Sheikh, Mahfijul Islam Robin, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed.
Five seamers for the Wanderers and Centurion
Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain and Khaled leave Taijul Islam and Mehidy as the only frontline spinners. That is the right shape for Johannesburg, and it matches what South Africa expect: their coach Shukri Conrad has already said Bangladesh’s quicks could be very effective there, when South Africa named Nortje and de Zorzi in their 15.
Nahid Rana, the fastest of them, is still in rehabilitation in Australia. Bashar said he could be ready for the white-ball games that follow the Tests, but the board does not want to risk him.
The problem is the batting. Bangladesh have never beaten South Africa in a Test, home or away, and the top order arrives without the opener who started this series. At lunch on the last day in Sylhet they were 49 for 2 chasing 369, with Shanto and Tanzid out, after Towhid Hridoy’s record 242 not out had given them a first-innings lead. Mushfiqur Rahim became the first Bangladesh batter to reach 7,000 Test runs during that innings, The Daily Star reported.
What happens next
The Sylhet Test against West Indies finishes today, with Bangladesh 1-0 down after the eight-wicket defeat in Mirpur. The first Test against South Africa starts at the Wanderers on 15 November and the second at SuperSport Park, Centurion, on 23 November. Both count towards the World Test Championship.
Market watch
- Naim opening with Tanzid looks the likely pair at the Wanderers, with Naim back after four years out of Tests and facing a four-man pace attack, so opening-stand lines deserve caution.
- Five seamers and two spinners: with Highveld pace and bounce, Bangladesh’s wickets are likely to come from the quicks, and Taijul’s usual load may shrink.
- South Africa’s own attack is Rabada, Jansen, Nortje and Paterson, so first-innings totals for Bangladesh are where the risk sits.
- Series prices will reflect that Bangladesh have yet to win a Test against South Africa.
For more, see the latest cricket predictions and upcoming fixtures in our match centre.
Top image: Photo: Charles from Sandton, South Africa / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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Macaela Becker
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