Batting has been a major headache for the
Bangladesh team in T20 cricket since last year’s World Cup and therefore the
team management’s headache would be to create new options to plug the
loopholes ahead of the World Cup in this format in Australia in the next
month.
Tigers have to suffer regularly especially from top order batting
failure. In almost every match, it was seen that Bangladesh have gone on the
backfoot after losing two-three wickets in the powerplay. On most occasions,
they failed to overcome that setback unlike the other teams.
To get rid of that situation, the team management sent two makeshift
openers Sabbir Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to open the innings in the match
against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded Asia Cup. This decision was quite
useful.
Bangladesh scored 55 runs for the loss of just one wicket in the
powerplay of the match against the Lankans and paved a platform of a big
total. Some luck here and there could even help Bangladesh to win the game
against the Lankans who became the Asia Cup champions eventually.
Now the team management has not taken any final decision whether Miraz-
Sabbir will continue to open or not.
However, the Bangladesh team will go to the World Cup after specifying
everything.
The Tigers’ three-day special training session began on Monday. The
team’s technical consultant Sridharan Sriram will closely monitor the players
for various positions by highlighting match scenario practice. Sabbir-Miraz
however didn’t open in the rain-hit first day of practice today, which
indicated that they are still not the first choice opening pair in the World
Cup.
Bangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud Sujon said that they will finalize
the four batters for top four positions before the World Cup.
“It’s not necessary that Miraz-Sabbir will again open the innings… But
yes, they are our last opening pair in the Asia Cup,” Mahmud said at the
Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today.
“Sabbir was dismissed for 5 runs but he has shown the intent the team
management wants. We will also see other openers to create more options.”
Meanwhile, rumors are rife that Bangladesh team can play star batsman
Liton Das at number four instead of opening. If that happens, the possibility
of Miraz-Sabbir starting the innings also increases. However, Mahmud did not
agree to make any final comments. He said that the decision will be made
after seeing the practice of the next two days.
“I can say this, at least 1-2-3-4 (Batting position) will be fixed. Then
maybe we can understand the situation and change the batting order. But
whoever we give, will be given a specific role. Coach believes the same. If
we play Liton on at four, he will be given the responsibility of four.”
“But we will not change that much in the top order. We want to set
everyone in one place. If we have to do a right-left-hand combination
especially in the middle order, we will think about it. We want those who
will bat in the top order to bat with an open mind,” he remarked.
