After a depleted Asia Cup campaign, Bangladesh should turn their focus on the upcoming three-match ODI home series against New Zealand, starting from Thursday. Team Tigers’ performance in the Asia Cup was nothing short of a horror show which surely dented players’ confidence. Therefore, to gain some momentum ahead of the World Cup next month, this Kiwi series is a perfect opportunity.
Easier said than done, it will surely be a stern test. Bangladesh failed to play as a team in all three departments of the game throughout the tournament. Especially batting seemed to be out of sorts. Batting needs to improve significantly if Bangladesh are to have any hope of having a good World Cup campaign.
The Tigers have lately found it tough to attain stability due to injuries but what areas would the team management look at to find those that fit their World Cup plan? The necessity for an all-rounder might still be critical moving forward.
The key emphasis would be the performance of the batters after batting failures in the Asia Cup. While the openers with the likes of Tanzid Hasan Tamim and others were short of runs -- except for Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who mostly played as a makeshift opener -- the middle-order already boosts the top obtainable options in Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, and Mushfiqur Rahim. It is the lower middle order that has been the other big area in the batting section which needs significant enhancement. Nevertheless, balancing a squad is where all-rounders also come into the equation.
While resting too many players could disturb the stability of the team in the upcoming New Zealand series at home, two stalwart campaigners -- Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah Riyad -- may be coming back to the side. Mahmudullah last played for the Tigers against England at home and even though he does not suit the profile of a genuine all-rounder, his bowling has often stabled the team combination. Sources have claimed that Mahmudullah is scheduled for a return, and thus the team management can gauge available choices.
Number seven and eight in the batting structure have been vital areas of concern in the Asia Cup. With Miraz playing as a makeshift opener, Shamim Hossain and Afif Hossain have not been successful in making their mark with the bat in the tourney, and on top of it, they do not offer a solid bowling option.