Pak vs Ban: Shakibal Hasan below as Tigers face a major challenge in their first test against Babar Azam and Co.

By Talat Masood Nov 25, 2021, 10:54 IST

Bangladesh's fighting cricket team struggle with injuries before the daunting challenge of receiving Pakistan for a series of two tests that begins in Chittagong on Friday.

Star players Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal are dropping out, adding to a lack of confidence in the camp after eight straight defeats at Twenty20 internationals, meaning Pakistan will start as overwhelming favorites.

The guests finished the previous Twenty20 series 3-0, but have to do without top spider runner Yasir Shah, who has had a thumb injury since September. The leg spinner has been a major bowler for Pakistan since 2014 and has taken 235 wickets in 46 tests.

All-rounder Shakib suffered a hamstring injury against the West Indies in Sharjah last month that ended his T20 World Cup, but he had been added to the testing roster in hopes that he would regain his fitness. But Bangladesh's election chief Minhajul Abedin said on Tuesday: “Shakib has not yet recovered from his injury. He needs further rehabilitation. Our physiotherapist takes care of him all the time. "

Tamim has been banned from the testing team as he is recovering from a finger injury and is not expected to resume training until next month, an official with the Bangladesh Cricket Board said. Minhajul was confident that Bangladesh would make up for Shakib's absence. “We have options in terms of both spin and pace. The team for the first test consists of cricketers who have played together regularly and who know the demand for test matches, ”he said.

"Pakistan is an impressive team, but we are confident that Bangladesh will be competitive if we are disciplined and patient." Pakistan will replace Yasir with 36-year-old Bilal Asif, who completed the last of his five tests in 2018.

"We have experienced players for the friendly matches, we just want to take the momentum with us," said Pakistani captain Babar Azam after beating Bangladesh in the T20 series. Pakistan played 10 Tests against Bangladesh and won nine.

Bangladesh's only draw came in 2015 when Tamim scored a first Test double hundred in the second innings in Khulna with Imrul Kayes in a record opening score of 312 runs.

The second test starts on December 4th in Dhaka.

Bangladesh squad: Mominul Haque (captain), Shadman Islam, Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Abu Jayed Chowdhury, Mahmudjaur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah , Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood.