Towhid Hridoy Earns Test Call-Up and T20I Vice-Captaincy

During a rain delay in Mirpur, the Bangladesh national cricket selection panel announced two separate squads: the Twenty20 International (T20I) squad to face Australia and the squad for the solitary Test match against Zimbabwe scheduled for June. Chief Selector Habibul Bashar confirmed that batsman Towhid Hridoy has been included in the Test squad for the first time since 2024 and has also been appointed vice-captain of the T20I side. Furthermore, uncapped Rangpur pacer Robiul Hoque has received his maiden Test call-up.

Hridoy’s Inclusion and Captaincy Reconfiguration

Although Towhid Hridoy is yet to make his debut in the longest format of the game, this is not his first inclusion in a red-ball squad. In 2024, he was drafted into the squad against Sri Lanka following an injury to Mushfiqur Rahim. In first-class cricket, Hridoy has accumulated 983 runs across 16 matches and 23 innings at an average of 44.68, including three centuries.

Explaining the tactical decision, Chief Selector Habibul Bashar noted:

“He is a regular feature in white-ball cricket. Regarding the aggressive brand of cricket we want to play in Test matches… if you look closely, we have recently altered our style of play. I believe he can provide an excellent alternative. His first-class record is quite respectable, and when he bats, he has the capacity to play highly impactful innings.”

In the T20I setup, Hridoy replaces Saif Hassan as vice-captain. This leadership change occurred after Saif requested the selectors to relieve him of vice-captaincy duties so he could focus strictly on his batting.

Maiden Call-Up for Robiul Hoque

Robiul Hoque has been rewarded for his consistent performances in domestic first-class cricket. The Rangpur pacer took five wickets in his most recent first-class appearance in the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL). During the previous National Cricket League (NCL) season, he picked up 22 wickets across nine innings at an average of 19, guiding Rangpur Division to the championship title. Across 32 first-class matches, Robiul has claimed 107 wickets. Though he has not scored a first-class century, he has registered two half-centuries and is being integrated as a pace-bowling all-rounder.

Squad Dynamics, Recalls, and Omissions

For the solitary Test against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh have rested prominent seamers Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, and Shoriful Islam, along with all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Miraz voluntarily requested a rest following discussions with the selectors. Pace bowlers Hasan Mahmud and Khaled Ahmed have been recalled to the Test side. Additionally, opening batsman Shadman Islam, who missed the final Test against Pakistan due to injury, returns to the squad, resulting in the omission of Zakir Hasan.

In the T20I squad assembled to face Australia, pacer Nahid Rana has been included. Bashar clarified that since Rana is being rested for the Zimbabwe Test, the selectors opted to utilize him in the shorter format. Meanwhile, bowlers Ripon Mondol and Tanzim Hasan were ruled out due to injuries sustained prior to selection, and pace-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin has been dropped.

Squad Summary and Overview