DHAKA: Bangladesh on Saturday said batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto would lead the country in the two-Test series against New Zealand beginning later this month.

Najmul was given the charge as regular captain Shakib Al Hasan was injured during the ICC World Cup in India, and his deputy, Liton Das, requested a break to be with his newborn daughter.

“Liton asked for a month’s leave. He won’t play two Tests… he wants to spend this month exclusively with his family,” Bangladesh Cricket Board’s cricket operations chief Jalal Yunus told reporters in Dhaka.

“Najmul Hossain is captain for the next two Tests,” he said.

Najmul was named vice-captain of the ODI side before the World Cup, and led the side in two matches in the tournament in Shakib’s absence.

He also led Bangladesh in the third and final ODI against New Zealand in September, in the absence of Shakib and Liton.

New Zealand beat Bangladesh 2-0 in the ODI series, the side’s first series win in Bangladesh in 15 years.

New Zealand’s Test squad will arrive in Bangladesh on Monday, and the first Test will be held in Sylhet from Nov 28 to Dec 2. Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium will host the second Test from Dec 6 to 10.

WAGNER RECALLED

Meanwhile, New Zealand recalled 37-year-old seamer Neil Wagner for the upcoming Test series in Bangladesh, replacing the injured Matt Henry.

Henry’s recovery from a hamstring injury suffered midway through the Black Caps’ World Cup campaign has been slower than expected, with scans showing he won’t be fit for the first Test in Sylhet.

Wagner gets an unexpected chance to add to his 63 Tests, having spent most of the last eight months recuperating from a torn hamstring and a herniated disc suffered during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Christchurch.

There was speculation Wagner had played his last international match when initially overlooked for the Bangladesh assignment, with five spinners named.

Wagner, who returned to domestic first-class cricket action this week with Northern Districts, joins a three-man pace attack which includes captain Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson – himself missing from Test duty for 18 months because of back problems.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2023