Taskin Ahmed Returns as Bangladesh Name Squad for First Test Against West Indies

Bangladesh have made changes to their Test squad for the upcoming series against West Indies, bringing Taskin Ahmed back into the side for the opening match in Dhaka on October 28. The fast bowler sat out the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, which finished in a draw. His return comes at the expense of Khaled Ahmed, who has now been dropped from the team.

Soumya Sarkar has also missed out on selection for the 15-player squad. Interestingly, he was part of the team in the recent Test matches, however, the selectors have now decided to drop him for the upcoming series.

The selectors have also picked Litton Das, who missed the UAE ODI tri-series due to a hip injury. Apart from him, Mehidy Hasan Miraz has also returned to the squad after recovering from a viral fever.

Meanwhile, Najmul Hossain Shanto will captain Bangladesh in the Test series, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan providing the spin options. Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud make up the pace attack, while Nahid Rana remains out as he recovers from a side strain.

Talking about the conditions, it remains to be seen whether the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka will favor fast bowlers or spinners. Bangladesh’s last Test at the venue, against Pakistan in May, lasted five days on a balanced surface. The Tigers won that match by 104 runs, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nahid Rana taking five wickets each.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh could also consider Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali as options for the batting order. Hridoy recently hit a triple century in a first-class match in South Africa, but was left out of the playing XI against Afghanistan. Jaker, meanwhile, has not played a Test since June 2025.

Bangladesh Squad for First Test Against West Indies

Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Taskin Ahmed, Jaker Ali, Litton Das (wk), Mominul Haque, Tanzid Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Tawhid Hridoy, Shadman Islam, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nayeem Hasan