Anamul Haque Bijoy is finally back in Bangladesh's Test side after being away for almost three years.  The veteran opener has been called back for the second Test against Zimbabwe, which will start on April 28 at the Bir Srestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram.

It's not a surprise that Bijoy was added for people who watch domestic cricket carefully.  The 31-year-old has been playing great in all types of cricket, especially in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) and the longer domestic tournaments.  Because he always did well, he was named captain of the Bangladesh "A" team during their tour of Pakistan.

Speaking to BDNews24, chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu explained the logic behind Bijoy’s return, “Bijoy was always part of our process and long-term thinking. We wanted him to go through the ‘A’ team route first, and he did that successfully during the Pakistan tour. We’ve been trying to ensure players don’t feel left out without being given enough opportunity. That’s why we initially named a squad for just the first Test.”

Lipu added that the failure of openers in the first Test opened the door for Bijoy, “The openers didn’t click in Sylhet, which created a chance. Bijoy, on the other hand, has been in top form in all domestic formats. We often struggle to find players in rhythm — Bijoy is one of the few exceptions right now.”

Bijoy has long been a force in Bangladesh’s domestic circuit. Recently, he became the first Bangladeshi to score 50 centuries across all recognized formats — a testament to his ability to play long innings.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now,” said Lipu. “He has the temperament we want from a Test opener. That’s why he’ll also feature in the upcoming series against New Zealand ‘A’. He hasn’t played against strong international opposition for a while, so this is part of a gradual reintroduction.”

To make room for Bijoy, opener Zakir Hasan was left out of the squad. However, Lipu made it clear that Zakir remains in the national setup’s future plans, “You’ll see Zakir play in the New Zealand ‘A’ series. We believe a national team player should get game time even if he's temporarily dropped — unless there’s a major performance concern. Zakir is still very much in the frame for the longer formats.”