The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has granted Shakib Al Hasan's request for a break from the five-day game and omitted the star all-rounder from the Test squad for the tour of South Africa.
The 30-year-old leads the ICC's Test all-rounder rankings but will not be involved in the matches in Potchefstroom and Bloemfontein.
Shakib will be available, though, when the Tigers tackle the Proteas in three subsequent one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.
"Shakib has formally written to the board with the request for some time off from Test cricket temporarily due to the demands placed on him physically and mentally from playing continuously in recent times," BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said in a statement.
"While he remains very important to the Bangladesh team in all formats, especially in Test cricket, the board nevertheless acknowledges Shakib's need for a rest and has decided to keep him out of the Test squad for the tour of South Africa 2017.
"We hope that this break will help him overcome any exhaustion and he will return stronger and will continue to contribute for the Bangladesh team in the same way he has been doing for the last decade."
Mahmudullah and Subashis Roy have been called up to the squad in place of Shakib and Nasir Hossain, while Rubel Hossain has also been added to an expanded group.
Bangladesh secured a notable 1-1 draw at home in their previous Test series, having registered a landmark first victory over heavyweights Australia.
Bangladesh squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (Captain), Tamim Iqbal (Vice Captain), Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Mehedi Hasan, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Liton Das, Rubel Hossain, Subashis Roy.
