Bangladesh Cricket Board Saturday named an 18-member national team squad for the two-match Test series against visitors West Indies. All-rounder Shakib al Hasan has been named in the squad, brushing off uncertainty over his availability due to injury.

Shakib had picked up a groin injury during the third and final ODI against the same opposition last week. A scan revealed no major damage as he was eventually included in the squad.

Shakib, completing a one-year ban, made an impressive return to the international scene finishing as the Man of the Series in the ODI series last week. The 33-year old will play his first Test since September 2019, the one-off Test at home against Afghanistan.

Top-order batsman Shadman Islam has also made a comeback to the national fold having missed out on Bangladesh's last Test, at home against Zimbabwe in February last year.

Middle-order batsman Yasir Ali and pace bowler Hasan Mahmud are the two uncapped players in the squad. The first Test will be played in Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium from Wednesday. The second and final Test will be held at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka from February 11.

Bangladesh squad

Mominul Haque (Captain), Tamim Iqbal, Shakib al Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Saif Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Shadman Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed Chowdhury, Ebadat Hossain, Hasan Mahmud

Deshsangbad/dt/fh/mmh