Bangladesh name 15-man squad for 1st Test against Sri Lanka

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have named a 15-man squad for the 1st Test of the two-match series against the Sri Lankan team.

Mominul Haque will lead the visitors in Pallekele, with the squad comprising some big names like Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das.

BCB allowed Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan to play in IPL 2021. In Rahman's absence, the board has included uncapped left-arm fast bowler Shoriful Islam in their Test team. Here is the entire 15-man squad.

Bangladesh Squad for the 1st Test against Sri Lanka: Mominul Haque (C), Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam.

The Bangladesh cricket team has struggled to perform well so far in the ICC World Test Championship. Mominul Haque's men have not recorded a single victory in this new competition. If they lose the series against Sri Lanka 0-2, the Bangladeshi team will end the ICC World Test Championship without a single point to their name.

Can Bangladesh avoid the wooden spoon in the ICC World Test Championship?

Bangladesh have a 0-5 win-loss record in the ICC World Test Championship

Bangladesh were whitewashed in their first ICC World Test Championship series against India. Next, they played an away Test match against Pakistan, where the hosts beat them by an innings and 44 runs.

Earlier this year, Bangladesh hosted a depleted West Indies team for an ICC World Test Championship series. Many expected Bangladesh to win the two Tests, but the Caribbean side defeated the hosts in both matches.

Mominul Haque recorded the highest average (54.41) in Tests against Sri Lanka.#BANvSL pic.twitter.com/x9V1AqtNk7

— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) April 20, 2021

Still, the Bangladesh team has an opportunity to overtake Sri Lanka in the ICC World Test Championship standings. If they win the two Tests in Pallekele, Bangladesh can avoid the wooden spoon in the competition.