The Bangladesh cricket team is gearing up for their two-match Test series against South Africa, set to begin on October 21 at Mirpur's Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Fans, however, will have to adjust to the absence of two key figures—Shakib Al Hasan, who will miss the series due to security concerns, and Tamim Iqbal, who made a strong impression as a commentator during the recent India series but is not part of the commentary team for this series.

Despite Tamim’s absence, an exciting commentary panel of seven will be behind the microphone, including four Bangladeshi commentators and three international voices. The international lineup includes former South African cricketers Shaun Pollock and HD Ackerman, along with Zimbabwean commentator Edward Rainsford.

On the Bangladeshi side, legendary voice of Bangladesh cricket Athar Ali Khan will be joined by Shamim Chowdhury, who has long been a popular figure in the commentary box. Adding a fresh dynamic to the panel are Somoy Ghosh and Mazhar Uddin Omi, who have recently earned recognition for their engaging commentary style in English.

South Africa’s national team is currently in Dhaka, and both teams are intensely preparing at Mirpur ahead of the highly anticipated first Test. Following the match in Mirpur, the series will shift to the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram for the second Test, starting on October 29. Both matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship.