Anamul Haque is set to return to Test cricket after almost two years, as the opening batter has been called up for the second Test against Zimbabwe starting on April 28 at the Bir Shrestha Flight Lieutenant Motiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram.听
Bangladesh made two changes in the squad after losing the first Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium by three wickets. Fast bowler Nahid Rana, who would go to Pakistan to play in the PSL, was replaced by uncapped left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam, while opener Zakir Hasan made way for Anamul.听
The 32-year-old Anamul has played five Tests so far in his decade-long international career. His inclusion came on the back of his top-notch form in the domestic arena.听
The right-handed batter has been playing for Gazi Group Cricketers in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. He has so far amassed 874 runs in 14 innings at a staggering average of 79.45.听
Anamul made four hundreds this season; two of those came back-to-back in his last two outings. In its official press release, the BCB stated that his recent form at the DPL helped him earn a recall.听
The former Under-19 captain was once thought of as one of the most promising batters in the country; however, his international career never got into full throttle.听
However, Test is the format where Anamul shone the least, as his five outings brought just 100 runs at an average of 10.听
His last Test was against the West Indies in 2022 after he broke the List-A record by scoring 1138 runs in a single edition of the DPL.听
This time too, he has been brought back to the Test side after gaining success in the 50-over format.听
Anamul, however, had a stellar season for Khulna in the last season of the National Cricket League as he scored 700 runs at 53.84. But that wasn鈥檛 enough for the selectors to bring him back to the Test fold.听
They have been somehow forced to bring him back as the continuous failures from the batters at the top for Bangladesh continue.听
Zakir, who was replaced by Anamul in the squad, had been averaging just 12.54 in his last 12 innings. However, the left-hander didn鈥檛 feature in the first Test against Zimbabwe.听
Mahmudul Hasan, who will supposedly make way for Anamul in the playing XI, has been struggling too, with an average of 14.06 in his last 16 innings.听
In Sylhet, Bangladesh managed only 44 runs across the two innings for the opening stand.听
The team management, including the captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, stated the fact that the failures were coming as a result of a 鈥榤ental鈥� problem.听
How Anamul will be able to sort out that problem remains to be seen. But Bangladesh will certainly hope that he will bring a silver lining into the batting that is passing one of its toughest periods.
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