Mosaddek included in squad for first SL Test

Mosaddek Hossain has been called up to the Bangladesh Test side after over two years, ahead of the first of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka which are part of the ICC World Test Championship.

The all-rounder, who played his last Test back in September 2019 against Afghanistan, will add extra balance to the side in the absence of injured Mehedi Hasan Miraz, according to chief selector Minhajul Abedin.

Earlier the selectors named off-spinner Nayeem Hasan as replacement for Miraz after the all-rounder injured his little finger on right hand during a Dhaka Premier League game last week.

"Since Miraz offers variety of an all-rounder, we have included him as he can bowl handy off-spin alongside his batting abilities down the order. Nayeem is also there in the squad as a genuine off-spinner but since he is out of international cricket for a while, we have decided to include Mosaddek as an all-rounder option," Minhajul told The Daily Star.

Mosaddek had a good outing in the just-concluded DPL for Abahani, finishing as the third highest run-getter with 658 runs in 15 games at an average of 47. The 26-year-old was also instrumental with his off-spin, bagging 16 wickets at an economy of 4.53.

Sri Lanka are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on May 8. The first Test series starts on May 15 in Chattogram while the second Test will begin on May 23 in Mirpur.