Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday announced an 18-member ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against West Indies.

The squad includes Mahadi Hasan, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam. All three of them are uncapped in this format of the game.

Also read: WI emphasise spin bowling to check Tigers

Shakib Al Hasan makes a comeback following his ban by the ICC, along with Taskin Ahmed. Shakib was banned for a year due to failing to report corrupt approaches while Taskin was struggling with his form and fitness for long. Taskin played his last ODI back in 2017 in South Africa.

Also read: We’re not a second-string team: WI captain

It will be Bangladesh's first International series after the Covid-19 hiatus. They played their last ODI back in March in 2020 against Zimbabwe at home.

The ODI series kicks off on January 20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The venue will host the second ODI on January 22 before the final match of ODI series takes place in Chattogram on January 25.

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Bangladesh ODI squad for WI series: Tamim Iqbal (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mahadi Hasan, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam.

South Africa’s cricket team arrived in the southern port city of Karachi on Saturday to play Test matches in Pakistan for the first time in nearly 14 years.

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The Proteas last toured Pakistan in late 2007 when it won the two-Test series 1-0.

Since then, Pakistan has twice hosted South Africa for the Test series in the United Arab Emirates — in 2010 and 2013.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board was forced to choose the UAE for its home venue after terrorists attacked a Sri Lanka team bus at Lahore in 2009.

The present tour comprises two Test matches at Karachi (Jan. 26-30) and Rawalpindi (Feb. 4-8), followed by a three-match Twenty20 series at Lahore, starting from Feb. 11.

Also read: Bangladesh team reach Lahore

South Africa squad: Quinton de Kock (captain), Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Daryn Dupavillon, Marco Jansen.

Thangarasu Natarajan arrived in Australia last November as a net bowler for the India squad, never expecting to get a shot at a test debut Down Under.

He celebrated his elevation from backup bowler to cricket’s most elite level by taking a pair of key wickets to peg back Australia to 274-5 on the opening day of the series-deciding fourth test at the Gabba on Friday.

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The 29-year-old left-armer played his first one-day international and his first Twenty20 international in December and completed the full set of formats when he was given a test debut. It was a kind of a last-man-standing chance after a string of injuries to bowlers culminated in pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of the Brisbane match before Friday’s coin toss.

With one ODI and three T20 internationals worth of experience, Natarajan was straight into action, sharing the new ball with Mohammed Siraj, who was leading a bowling attack which had only a combined four previous test caps, after the Australians won the toss and decided to bat.

India had Australia in early trouble at 17-2 before Marnus Labuschagne rallied the innings, posting his fifth test century and sharing partnerships of 70 with Steve Smith (36) and 113 with Matthew Wade (45) to get the hosts to 200-3 and on the verge of accelerating the scoring. That’s when Natarajan struck twice, quickly, to slow the momentum.

Also read: Australia 338 all out; India 26-0 at tea, day 2 of 3rd test

Wade and Labuschange both misjudged his length and top-edged attempted pull shots. Wade was caught at mid-on in Natarajan’s 13th over and Labuschagne, after surviving dropped catches on 37 and 48, was finally out for 108 after facing 204 deliveries when he skied one to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant in the rookie bowler’s 14th.

Natarajan finished the day with figures of 2-63 from 20 overs.

Australia allrounder Cameron Green was unbeaten on 28 and captain Tim Paine was 38 not out at stumps.

Labuschagne said the attack — India’s least experienced ever in a test match — bowled with discipline early and showed they were quality cricketers.

But he was still conscious he missed a change to make a bigger century.

Also read: Defiant India forces a draw in tense 3rd Test vs Australia

“I’m definitely disappointed not going on and getting a really big score that would have put us in a better position as a team,” he said. “We’ll still take the position we’re in — 5-274. Still a good position.”

The Gabba is a venue where Australia hasn’t lost a cricket test since 1988. But for the second consecutive day of test cricket, India’s gritty, injury-depleted lineup troubled Australia.

The Indian players batted through the full final day in the third test in Sydney on Monday, losing only three wickets, to salvage a draw and keep the series level at 1-1 going into the last match.

A squad already missing injured veteran bowlers Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami and skipper Virat Kohli, who returned to India for the birth of his first child, had its depth tested even further when Bumrah (abdominal muscles), Ravichandran Ashwin (back), Ravindra Jadeja (thumb) and Hanuma Vihari (hamstring) were all ruled out for the Brisbane match.

Enter Natarajan and allrounder Washington Sundar for their first tests and the recalls for Shardul Thakur and Mayank Agarwal. India only needs to draw at the Gabba to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

But the inexperienced bowlers showed they’re here to win.

Siraj led the attack in just his third test appearance and produced a breakthrough in the first over when he had David Warner (1) well caught by Rohit Sharma at second slip.

Thakur dismissed Marcus Harris (5) in the 9th over to make it 17-2, his first test wicket — he only bowled 1.4 overs in his only previous test after sustaining an injury.

Sundar also collected his first wicket — achieving it before he’d conceded a run — when he had former Australia captain Smith caught at short mid-wicket with his first ball in the post-lunch session after his morning spell contained three maiden overs.

“It’s been amazing for me. It’s a dream come true — first wicket will be treasured,” Sundar said of his rise to the test XI. “It’s a big honor to represent your country in the first place, and test cricket . . . amazing opportunity.”

Australia could have been in deeper trouble, but stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane put down a routine chance at gully from Labuschagne when the hosts were 93-3.

Also souring that missed opportunity was a groin strain for the bowler, Navdeep Saini, which kept him out of the attack for the remainder of the day.

Captain Joe Root closed in on his 18th Test hundred and only second in Sri Lanka as England swiftly moved to 206-3 in the first cricket Test on Friday.

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Root was unbeaten on 99 off 161 balls with seven boundaries and debutant Dan Lawrence, who was dropped by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella in the last over, as England went to lunch on 40 not out to consolidate its lead to 71 runs.

Root had scored a century at Pallekele during England’s last tour to Sri Lanka in 2018 when England won 3-0.

England had rattled Sri Lanka for 135 in the first innings inside the first two sessions on Thursday with Dom Bess claiming 5-30 and Stuart Broad picking 3-20.

England lost overnight batsman Jonny Bairstow in the second over after rain delayed the start of the second day for an hour and 10 minutes.

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Root survived a leg before wicket television referral off Dilruwan Perera’s second ball of the day before Lasith Embuldeniya (3-80) got Sri Lanka the breakthrough from the other end.

Bairstow couldn’t add to his overnight 47 and was caught in the gully as he prodded to left-arm spinner but was brilliantly snapped by Kusal Mendis.

The breakthrough ended a strong 114-run stand after the visitors resumed on 127-2.

Also read: Defiant India forces a draw in tense 3rd Test vs Australia

But Root and Lawrence then added another productive 75-run stand to take the game further away from Sri Lanka. Lawrence played some fluent cover drives against the spinners and even hit Embuldeniya for a six over mid-wicket as he grew in confidence in his debut Test.

Lawrence could have fallen to Embuldeniya in the last over before the break, but Dickwella not only failed to grab the catch, but missed the stumping as the batsman dragged his backfoot out of the crease.

Right-arm pacer Hasan Mahmud shone in the first intra-squad practice game of Bangladesh cricket team on Thursday, taking four wickets for 21 runs in six overs.

Mahmudullah XI beat Tamim XI by five wickets at BKSP riding on Hasan’s superb performance. 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) already announced a 24-member preliminary squad for the three-match ODI series against the West Indies which will start on January 20. 

Also read: WI emphasise spin bowling to check Tigers

The selectors overlooked the former Bangladesh captain and right-arm pacer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza for the series. The move indicated that they were looking for new talents in the pace-bowling department.

Taking four wickets in the practice game, Hasan proved his mettle to replace Mashrafe in the ODI squad. 

Earlier, Mahmudullah won the toss and sent Tamim XI to bat first who ended up adding 161 runs in 37.2 overs losing all the wickets. Afif Hossain added 35 runs off 32 balls with three sixes. 

Also read: We’re not a second-string team: WI captain

Tamim Iqbal, the ODI captain of Bangladesh, posted 28 off 43 balls, Najmul Hossain Shanto, 27 off 35 and Soumya Sarkar, 24 off 46.

For Mahmudullah XI, Hasan bagged four wickets while Shoriful Islam and Al Amin Hossain took two wickets each.

In reply, Mahmudullah hit an unbeaten 50 to guide his team to a five-wicket victory. Mohammad Naim, 43 off 52, Shakib Al Hasan, 28 off 48, also did well with the bat.

Also read: Ryan Cook eyes to fix technical errors in Tigers’ fielding

Mahmudullah XI chased down the target in 36.5 overs losing five wickets.

For Tamim XI, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed and Mahadi Hasan took one wicket each. 

Mahmudullah said it was a good day for the bowlers. “I think the bowlers did an excellent job. There was a good movement in the wicket at the start of the match. But the wicket favoured the batsmen in the second innings. Overall, it was a good practice game for all of us.”

Also read: Akram Khan: Bangladesh shouldn’t take West Indies lightly

The ODI series will begin on January 20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The second game of the series will also take place at the same venue on January 22, and the third one will be played in Chattogram on January 25.