Selectors on Sunday rang changes on the Bangladesh national cricket team by axing opening batsman Soumya Sarkar and pace bowler Taskin Ahmed among others for forthcoming tri-nation one-day international tournament at home.
In the first squad of post-Chandika Hathurusinghe era, the Minhajul Abedin-led selection panel brought back batsman Anamul Haque and pace bowling all-rounder Abul Hasan to replace the duo in Bangladesh’s 16-man squad, announced for the first two matches of the tournament.
Soumya was struggling with his form for quite some time but he had always been shielded by Hathurusinghe, the immediate past Bangladesh coach, who reportedly never compromised with his personal choices.
The selection committee understandably worked with more freedom this time and they used this chance to reorganise the squad that suffered a 0-3 drubbing in their last one-day international series in South Africa.
Pacer Mustafizur Rahman returned as expected after missing out on the South Africa tour with a twisted ankle while selectors also brought back top-order batsman Mohammad Mithun as cover for Imrul Kayes.
Imrul received a bruise during a training session on Friday, which paved the way for Mithun, one of the few shining lights among local batsmen in the recent Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
The squad also had no room for batsman Liton Das, who played all three ODIs in South Africa just to score 41 runs at 13.66. Batsman Mominul Haque, who stayed in South Africa as cover for Tamim Iqbal but did not play any game, also has been overlooked.
Liton and Mominul, nevertheless, were not part of regular ODI side in recent years and therefore their exclusion came as a little surprise. Unlike the duo, Soumya and Taskin played a big part in Bangladesh’s recent success in ODIs, which made their omission a difficult call for the selectors.
Chief selector Minhajul said they considered recent form than past record while making the team and this made both Soumya and Taskin ineligible. After a struggling ICC Champions Trophy in UK, Soumya was given chance to an ODI in South Africa when he could score only eight runs.
Taskin also fared poorly in South Africa, picking up two wickets in three ODIs.
‘We have no doubt about his talent,’ Minhajul said about Soumya. ‘But he is not in good rhythm, so we decided to give him a break. He is in our system as he is our pool player. I hope that he will get back his form and there will be consistency in him as well.
‘Taskin’s reason is the same – form. He was not in satisfactory form in the last South Africa tour. So I think that he needs to play matches in the longer versions in domestic cricket. So he has been given a break for the same reason,’ he said.
Left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam returned to the side after playing his only ODI in Ireland in June.
Bangladesh will face in Zimbabwe in the opening match of the tri-nation tournament in Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on January 15.
The tri-nation tournament will be followed by bilateral series against South Africa featuring two Tests and as many Twenty20 internationals.
-NEW AGE
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