Sarkar dropped for Chittagong Test

The Bangladesh opening batsman Hannan Sarkar has paid the price for a dismal run of form, as he has been dropped for the second Test against New Zealand, which starts at Chittagong on Tuesday.

Sarkar, who in the Caribbean earlier this year earned the dubious distinction of falling to the first ball of consecutive Test matches, managed scores of just 0 and 1 at Dhaka this week, as Bangladesh slumped to defeat by an innings and 99 runs. His place has been taken by the uncapped middle-order batsman Aftab Ahmed, a former Under-19 player.

"We have decided to call Aftab Ahmed into the middle order as we had a bitter experience in the first Test," said Bangladesh's chief selector, Faruk Ahmed. Aftab made his one-day debut in the recent Champions Trophy in England.

And following the relative success of Bangladesh's spinners - Mohammad Rafique and Manjural Islam Rana shared nine first-innings wickets between them - the selectors have recalled Enamul Haque junior for the second Test, at the expense of the seamer Alamgir Kabir. Khaled Mashud continues to captain the side, in the absence of Habibul Bashar.

Bangladesh squad Khaled Mashud (capt, wk), Rajin Saleh, Javed Omar, Mohammad Ashraful, Nafis Iqbal, Manjural Islam Rana, Tareq Aziz, Mushfiqur Rahman, Aftab Ahmed, Alok Kapali, Tapash Baisya, Mohammad Rafique, Enamul Haque jr.