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, reports BSS.
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 on September 12.
"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.
