DHAKA: Bangladesh basking in glory from the historic win against touring England has announced a 22-member preliminary squad for the tour to New Zealand.
Team tigers will play tests, ODIs and T20s against them.
While most of the players chosen are an automatic choice, omission of Rubel, Al Amin and Nasir has triggered controversy in print, electronic and social media.
Bangladesh Preliminary Squad
Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hassan, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Shuvagata Hom, Taijul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Subashis Roy, Mohammad Shahid and Tanveer Haider.
We are aware that Wickets of New Zealand are very different than the low, slow and turning sub-continental wickets. Grounds are smaller and condition is chilly and windy.
Finger spinners hardly get any success there. Ball swings and seams prodigiously. Teams from subcontinent usually struggle in adjusting with wickets and conditions there.
Last time when Bangladesh played in ICC World cup, ICC Curators prepared wickets. In bilateral series, home side prepares wickets to suit their strength.
It goes without saying that New Zealand will not prepare wickets to suit Bangladesh spinners. It will be hard, bouncy and seaming track suiting Kiwi pace battery. In that situation Bangladesh must also rely on its emerging battery of quality pacers.
The wonder boy of Bangladesh Cricket Mustafiz can have an instant success as prolific Wasim Akram had in his first visit there. But much will depend on how soon he gets match fit and ready to go.
Taskin is also not considered ready for longer version. Mashrafe, nowadays, plays in two shorter versions only. In such situation, omission of tried and tested Rubel and Al Amin on pace-friendly condition can definitely raise controversy.
Unless they are not fit or they have any disciplinary reason, omission of Rubel and Al Amin demands greater explanation from BCB.
In not too distant past Rubel was a hero while Al Amin is regarded as a genuine wicket taker. On a pace-friendly wicket, there is no point taking Taijul and Shuvagata when spin duty can be shouldered by Shakib and Miraz.
If required, Sabbir, Mahmudullah and, if found ok, Tanvir Haider can be included for his wrist spin.
Everyone is asking question about the omission of Nasir even from the primary squad. Shuvagata is neither a better batsman nor a better fielder than Nasir.
Nasir is a very useful bowler as well. Time and again he has proved his quality in all formats of Cricket. Is he a bad boy? If so why that is not being publicly told?
There is a strong rumor that a few persons in team management do not like Al Amin and Nasir. Can budding players be ignored for personal liking and disliking. We have seen how BCB failed to nurse a quality leg spinner Jubair Hossain.
They also are not taking proper care of Mominul. The unique way of selecting team of Bangladesh with head coach and controversial team manager in the selection committee has already creating issues. It amuses cricket admirers when chief of the selection committee appears with childish justifications of omitting a few players.
BPL 2016 is set to be restarted. What is the use of organizing a crore taka melodrama if that cannot discover or rediscover some talents for national side? Why announcement of the squad could not be delayed till the end of BPL? Why big hurry? Who gains who loses from it?
Anyone of Mustafiz, Taskin and Mashrafe can break down. Rubel and Al Amin must be taken as cover. Subashis Roy and Shuvagata cannot deserve call ahead of them.
Bangladesh will play two warm-up matches in Sydney against Sydney Sixers as preparation for the tour. That is a good move as players will get a feel of the Kiwi Condition.
Bangladesh will have to improve batting a lot and quickly adjust for playing in Kiwi condition. Definitely it will be different wicket than world cup and different condition.
This kiwi team is much stronger at home. Bangladesh could do well in playing some longer version games on pacy wickets rather than playing in good for nothing BPL.
BDST: 1004 HRS, NOV 07, 2016
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