Bangladesh will embark on their first Test series since several of their players were banned from international cricket when they host New Zealand in Chittagong on Friday.

Last month the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) handed out 10-year bans to 13 players after they decided to compete in the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League.

Among those players was former captain, and the country's most capped player, Habibul Bashar, who has since called on the BCB to re-think the punishment handed out, in fear of a completely uncompetitive Bangledesh team.

The Tigers' Test record is already sorry reading with just one win - against Zimbabwe in 2005 - from 53 games since their inclusion eight years ago.

Current Test captain Mohammad Ashraful, who took over from Bashar last year, recognises the need for improvement, starting against the Black Caps in this two-Test series.

"I hope we try our level best to improve our Test performances," he said.

"We look forward to the Test series and realise that batsmen will have to put up a good fight against quality New Zealand bowling."

Ashraful's side will take much confidence from their recently completed one-day series against the Kiwis when they recorded their first ever win against the Antipodeans in the opening game.

A first series win against a Test-playing nation had at one stage looked on the cards when they restricted the New Zealanders to modest totals in the second and third games as well.

But the Tigers' brittle batting order, in which their top seven had an average age of just 20, was exposed as they failed to chase down their victory targets.

"We lost two opportunities. It's really very disappointing the way we let down the chances," said coach Jamie Siddons who admitted his team needed to find consistency with the bat ahead of the Test series.

"The batting was disciplined in the first 10 overs but consistency is still a far cry for us and we should have found the solution (by now)."

Uncapped all-rounder Naeem Islam impressed in that series and is set to make his Test debut in Chittagong while experienced batsman Rajin Saleh as well as left-arm spinners Abdur Razzak, Mehrab Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan have all be called into the 13-man squad to replace the banned players.

New Zealand coach John Bracwell believes spin will play a key role in the game after inspecting the pitch at the Divisional Stadium.

The wicket being used for the Test lies next to the one used in Tuesday's ODI match and Bracewell said it was "a given" that he will select finger spinner Jeetan Patel, who impressed in that match, to partner skipper Daniel Vettori.

"We're extremely pleased with the way Jeetan bowled and we're delighted with his progress," Bracewell said before indictating his concern at the state of the wicket.

"It's more plated than the one we played on (on Tuesday night). It was flooded last night and rolled to flatten it.

"We're hoping they can get the wicket a little better than how it looks. If it plays like it looks we could be in for a fairly short Test."

The second Test of the series will start in Dhaka on October 25.