Morad, Shahadat earn maiden call-ups for New Zealand Tests

Left-arm spinner Hasan Morad was rewarded for his excellent performance in first-class cricket by earning a maiden call-up in the Bangladesh squad for a two-match Test series against New Zealand.

The 22-year-old has made an impressive start to his first-class career and has taken 121 wickets from 25 matches since his debut for Chattogram Division in 2021.

The selection panel led by Minhajul Abedin Nannu also called up Morad's Chattogram Division teammates top order batter Shahadat Hossain Dipu and pace bowler Hasan Mahmud for the Test series.

Hasan has already been a regular face for Bangladesh in ODI and T20 cricket while Shahadat played only T20 International for the side.

Regular captain Shakib Al Hasan was ruled out of the Test series with a fractured finger, sustained during the World Cup and vice-captain Liton Das was granted a month's leave to be with his wife and newborn baby.

Fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain were sidelined with respective injuries. Najmul Hossain Shanto will lead Bangladesh in the two-match Test series against New Zealand. The 25-year-old left-hander will become the 13th cricketer to captain Bangladesh in Tests.

Bangladesh brought back Nurul Hasan Sohan to act as wicket-keeper in the place of Liton Das.

The first match gets underway at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS) on November 28.

The second Test begins at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur on December 6. The Tests are a part of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship and the first WTC series for Bangladesh in the new cycle.

Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Naeem Hasan, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Hasan Morad.

/KN/