Bangladesh’s political turmoil has subsided, with a caretaker government now in charge. However, the unrest has raised concerns about the country’s ability to host the Women’s T20 World Cup in October.
Despite the political upheaval, Bangladesh’s men’s cricket team is set to embark on a tour of Pakistan, their first fixture in two months. The two Tests form part of the World Test Championship, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is determined to put the political turmoil behind them.
One of the key players for Bangladesh is Shakib Al Hasan, whose stint as a member of parliament ended with the government’s collapse. However, Shakib has remained focused on his cricket, and Shanto expects him to continue to perform at his best.
“Shakib bhai is in a good shape – in practice and preparation. He has the desire to do well,” Shanto said. “He has showed his commitment in every practice session. He is a professional cricketer. We all treat him as a cricketer. He [has] played this game for so long that he knows his role; he knows how to prepare himself.”
Bangladesh will also rely on Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who is a respectable batter in the lower order. Mehidy is likely to be included in the XI to prevent Bangladesh from having a long tail. Batting him at No. 8 might allow Bangladesh to play three fast bowlers and two spinners, including both Shakib and Mehidy.
Shanto hinted that one of those quicks could be Nahid Rana, considered Bangladesh’s fastest bowler with speeds up to 150kph.
“There’s a chance of him playing. He is in good shape,” Shanto said. “We will have our normal combination, it seems. Pacers will have an extra advantage on this wicket, so we will look at that when thinking about our XI. [Shadman Islam] is batting very well. He is preparing well. He made runs [recently against Pakistan A] in Australia.”
Bangladesh are in dire need of a batting revival. The understanding that Rawalpindi could be a favourable pitch for batters is giving them encouragement. Shanto said that they have done enough preparation to get better, which also includes his own form, as both Shanto and Litton Das have been in the headlines after playing poorly in the T20 World Cup a few months back.
“We are not looking to do anything extra, but it is true that we haven’t been batting well in the last few months,” he said. “We didn’t go well in our last Test series [against Sri Lanka, in March-April]. Having said that, I think we are well prepared for this Test series. The players have used the opportunities to prepare properly. They believe that we can do better with the bat.”
“I have always looked to develop my skills as a batter. Every practice session has been about improving in those areas where I lack. I am hopeful that it will help me in the matches [against Pakistan].”
Shanto remained positive that Bangladesh have enough reason to be confident for the series opener in Rawalpindi, especially with their fast-bowling unit.
“Records can change. It won’t be easy [for Pakistan],” he said. “We have a balanced side. We believe we can do special things this time. We are excited to play here. We have developed a good pace-bowling unit, we have four quality spinners, [and] we covered all the bases that will help us make the team tomorrow. The seamers get a bit of benefit here, so they are excited to do well in this condition.”
