Bangladesh Cricket Board officials on Monday expressed optimism that Test captain Najmul Hossain will be fit ahead of the opening match of the two-Test series against Pakistan. The first Test is set to start on May 8 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, and the BCB is monitoring the situation closely after Najmul picked up a hamstring issue earlier in the tour.
Injury update on Najmul Hossain
Najmul, who sustained a hamstring injury during the third ODI against New Zealand in Chattogram, chose to rest rather than fully participate in the training block. Several senior red-ball players—including Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque and Taijul Islam—have been working at SBNS and are expected to be part of the 15-man squad for the Pakistan Tests.
- Najmul Hossain is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the third ODI versus New Zealand in Chattogram.
- He opted for rest initially, but did attend the practice session and interacted with the Test squad preparations led by Sohel Islam.
- The captain reportedly picked up the injury while scoring a century, his first Test-match milestone in more than two years.
BCB chief physician Debashish Chowdhury said the injury does not appear severe at the moment and that the team will reassess Najmul on Tuesday. Chowdhury stated that Najmul is currently not experiencing pain and that he is comfortable while walking, though a full physical examination is still planned.
- “It didn’t seem that bad to me,” Debashish Chowdhury said.
- He added that Najmul is expected to arrive on Tuesday for evaluation.
- Chowdhury noted that the captain has no pain at present and there is no pain when walking.
- A physical check will still be carried out on Tuesday.
Bangladesh ready to tweak their Test approach
While the medical update remains the immediate focus, chief selector Habibul Bashar also outlined what he described as a shift in Bangladesh’s mindset in Tests. Speaking in Chattogram at a press interaction alongside fellow selector Naeem Hasan, Bashar said the Pakistan series is part of the Test Championship, and Bangladesh want to improve their standing after a less-than-ideal start.
- The Pakistan series forms part of Bangladesh’s Test Championship campaign.
- Bashar said Bangladesh want to “take ourselves a bit higher” after earlier struggles in the competition.
- He indicated Bangladesh may adopt a more attacking approach in their Test cricket.
Selection signals: new opener and backing domestic form
To reflect that planned change, Bangladesh have included Tanzid Hasan Tamim as an attacking opener in the Test set-up for the first time, citing his performances and skills in limited-overs cricket. Bashar also pointed to the importance of domestic consistency, backing Amite Hasan based on his strong first-class record.
- Tanzid Hasan Tamim has been added to Bangladesh’s Test setup as a new opener for the first time, with emphasis on his white-ball credentials.
- Amite Hasan has also been supported in the squad due to his strong first-class record.
Bashar further suggested that the bowling unit is already capable of delivering match-defining spells, while the key to success will be sustaining batting consistency. He said Bangladesh have the resources to take 20 wickets and that if they can keep batting steady, they should be able to perform strongly in the Test Championship.
- Bashar said Bangladesh’s bowling side is in good shape and can take 20 wickets.
- He stressed that consistent batting will be crucial for success in the Test Championship.
- The selector said the overall style may change, without committing to a direct comparison to any single brand of aggressive cricket.
With the first Test scheduled for May 8 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh will now wait for the Tuesday assessment of Najmul Hossain before confirming whether the captain can lead from the front against Pakistan.
