Bangladesh have recalled pacer Taskin Ahmed to a 15-player Bangladesh vs West Indies Test squad for the two-match home series that opens in Mirpur on October 28, the International Cricket Council reported on Friday.
Najmul Hossain Shanto will captain the side throughout the series, according to the ICC. Experienced batter Litton Das has been included despite a recent hip injury.
Both matches count toward the ICC World Test Championship. Bangladesh sit fourth in the standings, and the ICC said they will be looking for a pair of positive results against the West Indies as they try to move toward a top-two berth and a spot in the 2027 final.
Taskin Ahmed returns after missing the Afghanistan Test
The ICC described Taskin as an experienced right-arm pacer whose return boosts the home side for the opening Test. He missed Bangladesh's one-off Test against Afghanistan at the start of this month. The ICC report did not give a reason for his absence from that match.
The ICC said the squad was named for the opening match of the series. It did not say whether the same 15 will carry over to the second Test, although Shanto has been confirmed as captain for both matches.
Is Litton Das fit for the Mirpur Test?
Litton's place in the squad is the main selection question before the first Test. The ICC reported that he was included despite a recent hip injury, but it gave no details on how serious the injury is or whether he is expected to be available on October 28.
The playing XI for Mirpur has not been announced. Until it is, it is not known whether Litton will start the match or whether the selectors have kept him in the squad as cover while he recovers.
Who is in the Bangladesh Test squad 2026?
The ICC published the following 15-player squad:
- Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain)
- Taskin Ahmed
- Jaker Ali Anik
- Litton Das
- Mominul Haque
- Nayeem Hasan
- Tanzid Hasan
- Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury
- Tawhid Hridoy
- Shadman Islam
- Shoriful Islam
- Taijul Islam
- Hasan Mahmud
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz
- Mushfiqur Rahim
The squad includes experienced names such as Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam alongside Shanto, Litton and Taskin. The ICC report did not mention any players left out from the Afghanistan Test squad.
Bangladesh West Indies Test schedule: Mirpur first, then Sylhet
The series opens in Mirpur and moves to Sylhet for the second match. The ICC listed these dates:
- First Test: October 28 to November 1, Mirpur
- Second Test: November 5 to 9, Sylhet
There is a gap of three days between the end of the first Test and the start of the second, which gives the selectors time to reassess the squad, including Litton's fitness, before Sylhet.
Daily start times and television or streaming arrangements for the series were not included in the ICC announcement.
What two wins would mean for Bangladesh's World Test Championship hopes
Bangladesh's position in fourth leaves them outside the top two places that lead to the World Test Championship Final in 2027. With only two matches in this series, the ICC framed the target as a pair of positive results, wording that points to wins rather than draws, if Bangladesh are to move closer to the leading pair.
The ICC report did not give Bangladesh's points total or percentage, the teams above them, or how many matches they have left in the cycle after this series. It also did not say where the West Indies stand in the table.
The West Indies squad for the tour was not covered in the ICC report on the Bangladesh selection.
Bangladesh's next step is naming the playing XI for the opening Test, with the decision on whether Litton Das is fit to play due before the start in Mirpur on October 28.