Bangladesh national team chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain has said that Anamul Haque’s recent form made him the “obvious choice” for a return to the national side, as the right-hander is set to make a comeback after last featuring during the 2022 West Indies tour of Bangladesh.

Following the defeat in the Sylhet Test against Zimbabwe, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 15-member squad for the second Test, scheduled to begin on April 28 at the Bir Shrestha Flight Lieutenant Motiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram.

Two changes headline the squad: 32-year-old Anamul returns to the Test side, while left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam has earned his maiden Test call-up, replacing pacer Nahid Rana.

However, it is Anamul’s inclusion that has drawn the most attention, thanks to his red-hot form in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League. Gazi Ashraf acknowledged that while the formats differ, Anamul’s performances were simply too impressive to overlook.

“He is a very well-deserving candidate, no doubt about it,” Gazi Ashraf told the Daily Sun. “He has always been part of our system. He was included in our last A team series in Pakistan, although that tour was heavily rain-affected and he didn’t get many chances to bat. Now, with the way he’s performing in the domestic circuit, he became the obvious choice.”

Ashraf also addressed the exclusion of Zakir Hasan from the squad, despite the batter not being given an opportunity in the Sylhet Test.

“Zakir—we will try him again in the future. He will get opportunities with the A team and in the BCL. It’s a process. Being dropped from the national side doesn’t mean a player is out of the system. Usually, they return through A team performances. That’s the ideal process. With the New Zealand A side set to tour here, we should stick to that process,” he concluded.