Bangladesh squad for Afghanistan Test - (Source: AFP)On Saturday, September 19, Bangladesh announced a 15-member squad for upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan. The two teams will lock horns for the special Test match from October 9 to 13 in UAE.Najmul Hossain Shanto will lead the side while Nahid Rana continues to be out of the team because of his injury. Rest, The Tigers have named a strong squad with Litton Das, Hasan Mahmud, and Mushfiqur Rahim part of the 15-member list.Nahid Rana And Taskin Ahmed ExcludedAs mentioned above, Nahid Rana has been excluded because of his injury. The right-arm seamer got injured while playing against Zimbabwe in July. Rana missed the Test series against Australia and has subsequently worked slowly towards full fitness after six weeks away from the game.Also Read: Match Fixing Rocks Bangladesh Cricket, 2 Charged For ICC Anti Corruption BreachNahid Rana is currently nursing his injury and has resumed bowling in the nets but the board has prioritised his fitness for West Indies challenge which follows after Afghanistan series.The reason behind Taskin Ahmed's exclusion is unknown but it could be to manage his workload. Jaker Ali Anik Returns To Test SquadOne of the noticeable inclusion is Jaker Ali Anik. It has been over a year since Jaker Ali last played a Test for Bangladesh. However, the 28-year-old is performing well in the domestic circuit, which has prompted his return to the senior side.Jaker Ali has been active with Bangladesh A side. In his last match against South Africa A, he slammed a brilliant 94 (168) and missed out on a century by just 6 runs. Prior to that, Jaker Ali also played a brilliant 61 run innings against Zimbabwe A side.Bangladesh's Squad for one-off Test vs AfghanistanNajmul Hossain Shanto (c), Tanzid Hasan, Shadman Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam.Travelling Reserve: Nayeem Hasan, Musfik Hasan, Iqbal Hossain EmonBangladesh Fresh off Heroics Against AustraliaThe upcoming Test will be Bangladesh's first red-ball series since their heroics in Australia. Recently, the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side scripted history by drawing a series 1-1 against the Pat Cummins-led side away from home.Bangladesh travelled to Australia for a two-match Test series and stunned the hosts by beating them in the 1st Test. It was a comprehensive win where the Tigers beat the Aussies by 9 wickets.Australia avenged the defeat in the 2nd Test and beat Bangladesh by an innings. However, it was still a big achievement in Bangladesh cricket and the players received a lot of praise for their performance.Recently, the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) hosted a special reception to felicitate the national cricket team following their historic Test victory against Australia on Australian soil.Also Read: Pakistan Legend Saqlain Mushtaq Threatened On Call Recording Leak, Spinner Reacts
