Online Reporter
MAHIDUL Islam will replace the injured Litton Das for the one-off Test cricket against Zimbabwe in Harare later this month.
Litton hasn’t sufficiently recovered from a left calf strain that he picked up during the ODI series against Australia.
“The BCB medical team has assessed his condition and is of the opinion that the batsman will struggle to get match fit for the Test within the time available,” the BCB said in a press release.
Litton missed the three-match T20I series against Australia that finished on Sunday. Towhid Hridoy led in his absence as Bangladesh lost 3-0. Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons earlier in the day said that they missed Litton during the T20Is against Australia.
“You miss his batting, and Litton is class,” Simmons said. “But again, what happens if he gets injured the day before [a big] tournament? We have to play properly, and the batsmen still have to bat even though he can get out on any day. They still have to bat, and today the only person that showed that the pressure didn’t get to him was the captain.”
Last year, Litton had missed the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. In his absence, Jaker Ali had kept wicket.
Before that series, Litton had missed the second Test against South Africa, which turned out to be Mahidul’s only Test so far.
He is now the only wicketkeeper in the Zimbabwe tour Test squad.
Bangladesh Test squad
Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahidul Islam (wk), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Towhid Hridoy, Amite Hasan, Robiul Haque. —ESPNcricinfo
