Bangladesh name 15-man squad for one-off Test vs Afghanistan; Najmul Hossain Shanto retains captaincy

Batting depth: The squad keeps several experienced Test batsmen available. Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das and Mominul Haque bring long-term Test experience. Shadman Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali Anik are included as additional batting options.

Spin department: Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam are named as the primary spin options. Their experience is positioned as an asset for the UAE surfaces where spin often influences results.

Pace attack: Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury and Shoriful Islam form the pace quartet. That group mixes pace and reverse-swing ability and provides Bangladesh with a range of seam options.

Three players were named as travelling reserves: off-spinner Nayeem Hasan and pacers Musfik Hasan and Iqbal Hossain Emon. They will travel with the squad to the UAE and be available if replacements are needed before the match.

Selection context and notable absences

Workload and fitness notes: Other coverage around the squad indicates Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana were not available due to workload management and fitness concerns. Towhid Hridoy's recall to the Test squad follows strong performances in A-team matches, including a high-scoring unofficial Test for Bangladesh A.

The one-off Test against Afghanistan starts on October 9, 2026, in the UAE. The fixture begins a busy multi-format period for Afghanistan in the UAE across October and November. For Bangladesh, this match is an opportunity to test spin and pace combinations and to give some fringe players exposure in conditions that reward control and spin bowling.

• Afghanistan's batting in UAE conditions.
• The effectiveness of Bangladesh's seam quartet in generating movement and controlling runs.
• Whether any of the travelling reserves are activated before the match and how that affects XI balance.
• Developments around Akbar Ali's selection status and whether his domestic performances prompt reconsideration.

Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Tanzid Hasan, Shadman Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam.

Reserves: Iqbal Hossain Emon, Nayeem Hasan, Musfik Hasan.