Bangladesh have suffered a major blow ahead of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, with in-form wicketkeeper-batter Litton Kumar Das ruled out due to a calf injury.
Litton, who also missed the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Australia in Chattogram after sustaining the injury during the ODI leg in Dhaka, has been replaced in the squad by Mahidul Islam Bhuiyan.
"Das is recovering from a left calf strain and has already missed the recently concluded T20I series against Australia. The BCB Medical Team has assessed his condition and is of the opinion that the batsman will struggle to attain match fitness for the Test within the available timeframe," the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said in a statement.
"The BCB National Selection Panel has called up 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Mahidul Islam Bhuiyan as Das's replacement in the Test squad," it added.
The tour will begin with the one-off Test at the Harare Sports Club from June 28. Following the Test, the teams will face off in a three-match ODI series at the same venue on July 6, 9 and 11.
The action will then move to Bulawayo, where the Queen's Sports Club will host the T20I series on July 15, 17 and 19.
Litton and Taskin Ahmed are set to miss the T20I series due to their Lanka Premier League commitments.
The first batch of Bangladesh's Test squad members left for Zimbabwe on Sunday, while the players involved in the recently concluded white-ball series against Australia are expected to join the touring party shortly.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons insisted he is not overly concerned about results and is instead focused on ensuring the team continues to play the brand of Test cricket it has committed to.
"These days, I don't worry about those things," Simmons said when asked about winning or losing against Zimbabwe. "The thing is that we've started playing cricket in a way that we want to play it, especially in Test cricket.
"The last two matches against Pakistan showed how we want to play Test cricket. That's the way we're going to go to Zimbabwe and try to play. Whether you're playing Zimbabwe or England, you're playing Test cricket and you have to play to a certain standard.
"If you're playing ODI or T20 cricket, you also have to play to a certain standard. It doesn't matter who you're playing against. That's how I look at it."
Simmons added that the Zimbabwe Test would serve as useful preparation for Bangladesh's tour of Australia later this year, though he stressed there was still plenty of work to be done.
"It's good preparation for the Australia Test series. But there's work to be done when the Test boys come back. We have time before we go to Australia. There's more work to be done before we go there. Australia is a different proposition from Zimbabwe. Right now, though, we're concentrating on the Zimbabwe Test match."
