Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe: Mahmudullah dropped from 16-man squad for one-off Test; Mushfiqur Rahim returns

Dhaka: Bangladesh have dropped Mahmudullah while senior batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, who opted out of the tour of Pakistan this month, returned to the side for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe beginning on Saturday.

Batsman Soumya Sarkar and fast bowlers Rubel Hossain and Al-Amin Hossain have also been axed from the side who suffered an innings defeat in the Rawalpindi Test.

Mushfiqur Rahim. AP

Fit-again spinner Mehidy Hasan and pace duo Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed returned to the 16-man squad.

“We felt that Mahmudullah needed a break from red ball (cricket),” selection panel chairman Minhajul Abedin said in a statement.

“Al-Amin has niggles and that’s why we thought he should be given the time to be fully ready for the limited overs matches where he is more important. Rubel is not part of our red-ball plans for the moment.

Dhaka hosts the first Test and Zimbabwe will also play three one-day and two Twenty20 Internationals.

Bangladesh Test squad: Mominul Haque (Captain), Tamim Iqbal, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadat Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Yasir Ali