Tiger’s
pacer problem
Bangladesh bowler Rubel Hossain (2nd L), team captain Masrafe bin
Mortaza and Taskin Ahmed (on Hossain's back) react after England captain Eoin
Morgan was caught out for a duck during their Cricket World Cup match in
Adelaide, March 9, 2015 Photo: Reuters
After
Bangladesh announced the team before the start of the Test match
against India at Fatullah, many eyebrows were raised as Mohammad Shahid
was the only pacer in the line-up.
Where
India are playing three pacers on the batting pitch at Fatullah, Mohammad
Shahid is the lone warrior meant to give Tigers breakthroughs with the new and
old ball.
Although
Bangladesh ’s bowling coach Heath Streak said playing three pacers was
a luxury for his team, it was expected to see at least two fast bowlers take
the field for Tigers.
Test
cricket seems to be the place where Bangladesh surprise many with their team selection.
Choosing
a single pacer for five-day cricket with Rubel Hossain in the squad has raised
many questions.
If
Rubel is not meant to play, why is he in the squad? Does he have any fitness
issue?
Perhaps
his Test average of 70 and strike-rate of 116.6 don’t justify his inclusion.
Since his ODI form has been
spectacular off late, he could’ve played in the sole Test match against India .
Mohammad Shahid of Bangladesh Pakistan STAR
With
only two Tests to his name, Mohammad Shahid is the leading strike-bowler for Bangladesh . His new-ball partner is Soumya Sarkar, a part-time bowler
at best.
Even
though Abul Hasan was included in the squad, Tigers’ team management decided to
play an extra spinner against India .
Since
Indian batsmen are most comfortable against spin, what can an additional
slow-bowler do on a benign pitch? Not to mention all the slow-bowlers are not
specialist spinners.
Lack
of fast bowlers in Bangladesh cannot be more evident in recent times. The most
successful pacers in the last five years are all out of contention.
From
2010 to 2014, Robiul took 25 wickets in 9 Tests. Rubel captured 21 wickets in
16 matches. Shahadat 12 in 10 Tests and Al-Amin six in six.
BCB president Nazmul Hassan said he stuck to his decision to
send Al-Amin Hossain home to set an example within the team
Rubel
was not picked for some strange reason. Shahadat is out with injury. Robiul’s
form in BCL was nothing to write home about. Al-Amin is on exile from
the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 for disciplinary reasons. Taskin is not ready
yet for the longest version of cricket.
After
defeat against Pakistan , captain Mushfiqur Rahim blamed the pacers publicly during
a press conference.
He even questioned their work ethic and mindset for Test matches besides their inability to keep themselves fit.
He even questioned their work ethic and mindset for Test matches besides their inability to keep themselves fit.
Taskin Ahmed goes for a celebratory run after dismissing Pakistan
The
biggest question for now is how Bangladesh Cricket Board will overcome this
acute pacer crisis?
The
Pacer-Hunt initiative unearthed fast-bowlers like Robiul, Shafiul and Rubel.
That programme is stuck in limbo for the last eight years.
The
concept of scouting fast-bowlers from all across Bangladesh was Sarwar Imran’s creation.
He
was understandably aggrieved when reporters asked him about the Pacer-Hunt
programme.
“Why
didn’t you raise a voice when the programme was discontinued?” he rebuked.
“Eight years have passed after 2007; still it came to nobody’s attention?”
He
admitted that the reason behind lack of pacers is the irregularity of scouting
programmes.
“I
tried to initiate something similar on my own, but it can’t be called a
Pacer-Hunt programme.” Sarwar added.
“You
need to pick up 20 wickets to win Test matches. At least two fast bowlers are
needed even in spinner-friendly sub continental conditions,” he explained.
When
a spinner is given the new ball, it puts added pressure on them while
destroying their confidence in the process.
You
ought to have four pacers in places like England , Australia , South Africa or New Zealand . Bangladesh can’t even find one genuine fast bowler!
