Hasan Murad replaces Shakib for 1st Test against South Africa
The uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad has replaced all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in the first Test against South Africa, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced. The first Test will begin on October 21 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. This comes after reports of Shakib's unavailability due to security concerns amid political unrest and protests in Dhaka. Here's more.
Shakib's absence leaves a void in Bangladesh's squad
Shakib, who was initially named in the Test squad, was expected to play his farewell game at home. However, his journey from New York to Dhaka was cut short in Dubai on Wednesday due to security reasons. Gazi Ashraf Hossain, BCB's national selection panel chairman said Shakib's unavailability for the first Test is a huge loss as they don't have another player of his caliber with both bat and ball.
Murad's consistent performance in 1st-class cricket
Despite Shakib's absence, Hossain was confident that Murad would bolster the team's bowling. He said, "Hasan Murad has performed consistently in first-class cricket and has been in our system. He will lend balance to our bowling, especially in home conditions." The 23-year-old spinner has taken 136 wickets in 30 first-class matches since his 2021 debut and represented Bangladesh at the Asian Games last year.
Bangladesh squad for 1st SA Test
Squad for 1st Test: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Shadman lslam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Hasan Murad, Litton Das (wk), Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana.
