Bangladesh squad for Mackay Test: Who will play, who will miss out?
The pitch and conditions at the Great Barrier Reef Arena have raised the question. Otherwise, after such a win in Darwin, why would any team even consider breaking up a winning combination?
That is not exactly what Bangladesh are thinking in Mackay. Coach Phil Simmons said yesterday that he is not one to break up a winning combination unless there is a compelling need to do so. Yet the issue repeatedly came up at captain Najmul Hossain’s press conference today, Friday.
The first question is whether Bangladesh will field four pace bowlers in Mackay, with conditions expected to be even more pace-friendly than in Darwin.
Today’s training session added to the speculation. Left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam was seen spending a long time batting in the nets in addition to bowling. The Darwin Test showed that tailenders’ batting could also play an important role in producing a good result against Australia.
So, the fact that Shoriful, along with Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud, spent a long time batting in the nets could be significant. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, meanwhile, did not bat in the nets.
Najmul was somewhat diplomatic when asked about the matter at today’s press conference. The captain has kept all options open regarding the bowling attack for the Mackay Test. He said he had the flexibility to select the XI in different ways.
It is not only four pacers including Shoriful—if necessary, he said he could even field five pacers, including Khaled Ahmed. This suggests that all his pace bowlers are fit and available for selection.
He also said, however, that the team’s two experienced spinners, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, can bowl effectively in all kinds of conditions. Their bowling could even prove effective on the Mackay pitch. Najmul made it clear that he was satisfied with the spinners’ performances and wanted to continue to place his trust in them.
Ultimately, the captain wants to assess the pitch before tomorrow’s match and then decide what Bangladesh’s bowling attack will look like. The same applies to opener Tanzid Hasan, who has been suffering from stiffness in his neck.
Tanzid did not bat in the nets yesterday because of the problem. After resting for a day, he underwent a scan today, though its result was not available when this report was written. However, Tanzid returned to the ground after the scan and batted in the nets without any visible discomfort.
Najmul nevertheless retained a slight note of caution regarding the opener, who scored a century in Darwin, only on his second Test. “Today was positive [regarding Tanzid’s availability]. But we want to see how he feels until tomorrow morning. Hopefully, he will be fine. We have all kinds of options available, so I don’t think it will be a major problem,” he said.
Mushfiqur Rahim injured a finger while batting in the nets yesterday. He received first aid and returned to bat later, and although he spent less time at the nets, he also batted today. Overall, Najmul sounded relieved: “Mushfiq bhai is fine so far. Tanzid also batted today. Overall, I think we will be able to make a good decision tomorrow morning.”
If there are no concerns over Tanzid and Mushfiq, there is unlikely to be any change to the batting line-up for the Mackay Test. If Tanzid is ultimately unable to play, Soumya Sarkar could come into the squad.
If Bangladesh opt to add another pace bowler, Shoriful—who received extra attention from the coach during training—is the most likely candidate. In that case, Taijul could miss out.
Whether there is a change or not, Bangladesh will make the final decision after assessing the pitch before the match begins tomorrow.