Australia devoid of spin for warm-up match

The Australians will not get a taste of Bangladeshi spin in their only three-day tour match from October 3. The national selectors picked a BCB XI squad of 13 devoid of any genuine spinners but included four pace bowlers for the docile Fatullah pitch.

National selector Minhajul Abedin said that it was the team management's strategy to not give the touring side an early advantage. "We are taking home advantage," he said. "Like any other touring side that comes to Bangladesh, we will make it challenging for Australia to play spin, which is our biggest area of strength. We have picked more batsmen because Australia has a good bowling attack."

For the last few years Bangladesh have tended to keep specialist spinners, especially left-armers, away from touring sides for practice games. The only spin that Steven Smith's side will face will be from allrounders Mahmudul Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Shuvagata Hom and Naeem Islam. Mahmudul and Shuvagata are likely to lead the spin attack as they have been doing well in the recent past.

The first Test between Bangladesh and Australia will begin on October 9 in Chittagong.

BCB XI squad Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque, Mahmudul Hasan, Mohammad Mithun, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Naeem Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Kamrul Islam, Abu Jayed, Shafiul Islam