Pakistan’s proud record on tour in England faces a stern test, but they’ve got the personnel to compete

Gaurav Sundararaman03-Aug-2020Compared to most other touring teams, Pakistan have been consistently successful against England in England over the last three decades. They drew their last two tours in 2016 and 2018, and have not lost a series home or away since 2010. Can they go further to beat England in England? We take a look at some of the key battles to look forward to in the Test series. Shan Masood v James Anderson
Opening in England is currently one of the toughest jobs in Test cricket, with an average of just 24.82 since 2018 – which is the third-lowest among all countries. However, if you dive a little deeper and look at the visiting team openers, that average dips further down to 17.67. One of the key factors in that is the enduring class of England’s new-ball specialist, James Anderson, and Pakistan’s opener Shan Masood has been a regular victim. He’s been dismissed by Anderson six times from 57 deliveries so far in his career, and on four of those occasions, he’s made a score of 2 or less. But he comes into this Test series with two centuries and one fifty in his last five innings, albeit in favourable batting conditions. If Pakistan hope to challenge England, Masood has to survive the Anderson burst and then build on his start, but can he find a way?ESPNcricinfo Ltd England batsmen v Shaheen Shah Afridi England’s batsmen have not had much experience of left-arm seam in recent home campaigns, with Mohammad Amir and Mitchell Starc claiming 11 wickets at 25 between them in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and conceding 275 runs from 559 deliveries in the process. However, in the winter just gone against New Zealand and South Africa, England lost 20 wickets at 26.55 to left-arm seam, with Dom Sibley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Jos Buttler all being dismissed in that manner twice. Sibley, Pope and Buttler average 22, 26 and 13 respectively while only Root has found a consistent means to combat the style, averaging 47.50. With Shaheen Shah Afridi playing a Test series in England for the first time, he could be a bowler who causes England problems. Azhar Ali v Anderson and BroadAzhar Ali is another key batsman for Pakistan but has not done very well in English conditions. In 24 innings, he averages 29.68 with one century and just three fifties. And the cause of his struggles have been a pair of familiar opponents. Since his first tour in 2010, Ali has fallen seven times to Anderson and six times to Stuart Broad, and he hasn’t managed to get on top of them in between dismissals either. He has scored 153 runs from 443 balls against Anderson while against Broad it is 150 runs from 512 balls. He needs to rectify that record if Pakistan are to score enough runs to challenge in the series.ESPNcricinfo Ltd Yasir Shah v England BatsmenWhen Yasir Shah last toured England in 2016, he was instrumental in their two Test victories, claiming 15 wickets for 272 runs at Lord’s and The Oval, compared to four wickets for 502 runs in their defeats at Old Trafford and Edgbaston. He missed the 2018 tour due to injury, and since start of 2019, he’s managed just 10 wickets in five Tests. Shah will be key to Pakistan’s success, especially as England have not faced many legspinners in the intervening years – just West Indies’ Devendra Bishoo and Shah’s own team-mate Shadab Khan. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Pakistan played both Yasir and Shadab at some stage in this campaign. Babar Azam v England In terms of a statistical match-up, this contest is based on too small a sample size to make any definitive judgements – Babar’s sole innings against England came in the Lord’s victory in 2018, when his attractive 68 was ended by a broken wrist, courtesy of a Ben Stokes bouncer. However, since that day, his reputation has soared, and when in full flow there are few more attractive players in the world. You won’t want to take your eyes off the action when he comes out to bat.

Why we should take seriously the issue players have raised of the mental toll that living in confinement takes on them

Mark Nicholas23-Oct-2020As reported on these pages earlier in the week, Eoin Morgan and Jason Holder had some revealing thoughts on the strain of living in biosecure bubbles and the likely fallout that comes from it. They were speaking at a virtual event organised by Chance to Shine, the charity working hard to bring cricket to state schools in England, and it was I who interviewed them.”We managed to fulfil all the international fixtures this summer, an unbelievable achievement. But to keep that level of bubble for a 12-month period, or ten of the 12 months that we normally travel – I think it is untenable,” Morgan said. “We’ve accepted that guys will come in and out of the bubble as they feel it is affecting their mental health. I do think we’ll see more players pulling out of tours, and I don’t think people should look down on [that]. They shouldn’t feel like players are not doing their job or not committing to their country.”Of course, he is right. England’s white-ball team will tour South Africa next month, leaving home on November 16th and returning on December 10th. (India’s team leaves for a much longer tour of Australia at much the same time.) There are tours to Sri Lanka and India in the New Year for England. Morgan will lead the limited-overs group of some 40 people, his emotional intelligence an important aspect of everyone’s ability to cope with the lifestyle forced upon them. For those who were part of England’s home summer, are now at the IPL, and who will feature in the tours to South Africa and the subcontinent, it is a daunting prospect.ALSO READ: Eoin Morgan, Jason Holder warn ‘bubble to bubble’ cricket isn’t sustainableBubble life is only okay for a while. It sneaks up on you, like many of the other issues that affect mental health, niggling away at confidence, patience and security. The denial of choice, the rigour of enforcement, the boredom, the loneliness, and the damned amount of time to think, to confuse and to overcomplicate, are threats to even the most self-assured. There is an almighty difference between not being able to do something and not being allowed to.”I’m blessed to still be working,” said Holder. “But something needs to be done to free things up a little for the players’ mental health.” He had two months in the bubble in England, then two days at home before leaving for the CPL in Trinidad, and then the IPL. “Some places are accepting families and some aren’t. So it makes it harder to be away from your family and your loved ones.”In England in the past, the stiff upper lip transported throughout the Empire was used to put a brave face on things, however ghastly. The duty was to keep the flag flying: “Play up! Play up! and play the game,” writes Sir Henry Newbolt in his poem “Vitai Lampada”.I was accepted onto the Hampshire playing staff in 1978, a time when 2nd XI players had to knock on the door of the 1st XI dressing room for entry to perform 12th-man duties such as delivering food and drinks and running baths. Injuries were treated with suspicion – as if a young enthusiast, eager to play first-class cricket, would fake a back problem! Bad shots were castigated, bad balls berated and poor fielding admonished without a thought for the nervous system or any understanding of circumstances and insecurity. The result was fear of failure, an enemy of the people.Later, as captain, I suggested to the committee that one or two players might benefit from the help of a sports psychologist, an idea that was dismissed as “soft”. By the time I retired in 1995, the power of the mind was better understood and its development seen as relevant in the improvement of sporting performance.

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“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you are right.”
— Henry FordHuman beings are affected by thoughts that can be both empowering and destructive. What became clear over my years at Hampshire was that though we are indeed the dictators of our own thoughts and behaviours, we are often denied by our own limitations or by the dominant, perhaps intimidatory, factors around us. Therefore, we benefit hugely from help. Within the compass of the stiff upper lip are moral and physical qualities to be admired, but with the acceptance of the mind as a flexible and essential tool in the improvement of performance comes the key to unlocking the door of the true human spirit. Pointing it away from the darkness of the negative to the bright lights of the positive is the most essential aspect of good mental health. The longer I was captain, the more I saw cricket as, say, 70% mental and 30% physical. It is a fairly typical case of “I wish I knew then what I know now.” I still kick myself for not grasping it sooner.

The problem with the biosecure bubble is that you cannot plough your own furrow. Were I a younger man, I might feel as if the air had stopped circulating. I would almost certainly do so if my form was suffering and the game was turning against me

Which is why the bubble brings an existential threat and why Morgan and Holder have identified the need for pastoral care as the international game returns during the days of coronavirus.Quite how the idea works if a player picks and chooses his tours is unclear. It was easier back in the day because there was no money to speak of. The subcontinent was off limits for anyone who didn’t like the food, never mind the daily grind and long hours in a hotel room with a colleague whose world spun differently from his own. Tony Lewis modestly talks of captaining England to Pakistan in 1973 because other, greater, names were unavailable. He rejoiced in the opportunity, drew the series in tricky conditions and made close friends both with his own players, who were delighted to embrace all that the hosts had to offer, and with the opposition, who applauded the visitors for their willingness to tour and warmth to their land.Easy, really, compared to not being allowed in the corridor outside your room for the period of isolation and for the rest of the time being restricted to certain areas of the hotel only.Today, the question of whether or not to tour is more complex. The players are contracted by the boards of control and paid as such. To miss a tour is to miss a small fortune by the standards of those who have gone before. Any board not sensitive to the emotions of its players is failing in its duty of care. Equally, at the time of Covid-19, the purse strings are tightened. Both sides will have to give a little. Probably the player might miss out on tour and match fees but still receive the retainer salary.I have been surprised by my own experience of the IPL bubble in Dubai. I have a spacious room with a balcony and found the first week of total isolation straightforward. I wrote, read and worked on various projects that have kept me busy since lockdown first took hold. I watched the odd show, listened to music – even classical music, for the first time over any length of time – constructed an apology for a “gym circuit” that gave me enough exercise for a fellow whose best years of bat and ball are long past, and chatted on the phone. I ate pretty healthy food and added a beer or a glass of wine a night to the treats that this self-indulgent period allowed. I missed my family but otherwise had a good time.When the week of isolation was done, I walked to the lift and headed straight for the pool. I swam for hours. “This is not the hard-knock life,” I said to myself, even if there were seven more weeks of it.Not all players can take the toll of living and playing inside a bio-bubble for months on end, but how many actually have the choice to turn down tours?•Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesBut in the days that immediately followed, I became a little grumpy, which is uncharacteristic – I think! I baulked at the regulatory nature of each step we were all taking and the ideas of compliance. I muttered at the lack of freedom that overtook the release from confinement. I didn’t blame anyone – in fact, I clearly saw the BCCI’s need to restrict movement and meetings, to insist on certain rhythms and to deny certain access – but I began to overthink it. Locked up in the room for a week, I was fine – my space, my choices. Allowed out of the room but restricted in the ether, I felt as if my IP had been stolen.This lasted for a couple of days, during which time I said my piece on occasions and otherwise moved away from the picture to emerge only for the matches. Then, suddenly, I was fine again. Like, move on Nicholas – you’re here, you’re lucky, get a grip. I was embarrassed that I snapped at someone and so I apologised. But I didn’t feel guilty, more remorseful to have picked out a good person who just happened to be doing his job. It was the job that was daft.I’ve been travelling for cricket all of my adult life. It is a privileged existence. As a player, you have training, practice and team-mates to fall back on. As a commentator you usually plough your own furrow a little more, exploring a life outside the game, which brings you new experiences and joys. The problem with the biosecure bubble is that you cannot plough your own furrow. I am glad to have a few miles on the clock – they help me complete the journey – and that fine men such as Sunny Gavaskar are a part of our team. Were I a younger man, with the wind beneath my wings, I might feel as if the air had stopped circulating. I would almost certainly do so if my form was suffering and the game was turning against me. Then, I imagine, the single room would become a lonely place.Which, I’m sure, is Holder’s point – “something needs to be done to free things up a little for the players’ mental health”. It is a very good point.The fact is, everyone at every level is trying. There are no easy solutions to keeping cricket on the road and alive. We have to respect each other’s problems and take care of our own. We will always look back in wonderment at how the ECB pulled off the summer of 2020, and soon enough, will do the same at how the BCCI barely missed a beat in bringing the IPL to the Middle East.Meanwhile, I’ve noticed how much more most of the players seem willing to express themselves, both on the pitch and at interviews. It started with England and West Indies and continues now in this terrific IPL. In a relative comparison to another monster, the English Premier League, where there are goals galore and far less moaning from managers, the “talent” is grateful for what it has at a time when the shrill of the referee’s whistle or the call of “Play!” seemed almost impossible. Hubris, huh!Life can’t be bad if stumps are flying, catches that defy gravity are being taken and AB de Villiers is making magic before our eyes. Onwards…

Five takeaways from the intra-squad practice matches and the one-day BCB President’s Cup

Mohammad Isam25-Oct-2020Cricket at last, but…
On the day Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka was postponed for a second time, BCB president Nazmul Hassan announced that Bangladesh’s preliminary touring party would play intra-squad matches instead. The board quickly organised a one-day tournament, later naming it the BCB President’s Cup, which officially became the start of the 2020-21 domestic season.To make up the numbers in the three line-ups, the selectors called up 22 more players. The board also put together an attractive package for the best performers, spending over $43,000 as prize money for the seven matches.All good there, but only 46 players actually got a chance to play the tournament, and that’s only a fraction of the total number of professional cricketers in the country. There remains uncertainty about the remaining part of the 2019-20 Dhaka Premier League, but with the announcement of another T20 tournament next month, competitive cricket is slowly making its return.Pacers’ improved fitness
The extra zip in the bowling of Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain, the latter adjudged best bowler of the President’s Cup, was noticeable throughout the one-day matches. They bowled at their usual pace but looked more disciplined all along, which was a missing ingredient in their make-up in the past. Hossain, who finished with 12 wickets at an average of 10.33, also had a 4.02 economy rate, while Ahmed managed to pick up seven wickets at 26.28, and he was also impressive in the early and late spells in the two two-day intra-squad matches.It was a refreshing change after the rough couple of years the two have had, and it was down to the extra work they put in on their fitness during the pandemic.It wasn’t just Ahmed and Hossain, but also the likes of Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain, Ebadot Hossain and Abu Jayed, who looked fitter and bowled more accurately than often in the past. Among the younger lot, Shoriful Islam and Sumon Khan also impressed with their pace, swing, and yes, fitness.Sumon Khan’s five-wicket haul helped Mahmudullah XI bowl out Najmul XI for 173 in the BCB President’s Cup final•Raton Gomes/BCBUnder-19 champions get a taste of the higher level
Eight members of Bangladesh’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad, including captain Akbar Ali, were distributed in the three President’s Cup teams. Mahmudul Hasan Joy spent more than two hours for a half-century and the patience was good to see, as he supported Imrul Kayes and Mahmudullah in two partnerships. Shoriful, the only fast bowler chosen from the age-group set-up, took a four-wicket haul in one of his three appearances, and generally impressed everyone with his spirit.The likes of Islam and Ali, however, come with the heavy “very talented” tags, and as Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo pointed out last week, it is going to be crucial that patience is shown with these young achievers.A few new contenders
The selectors picked an array of players to diversify the bowling attacks of the three one-day sides, in particular. The fast bowlers did well, including Khan, who took a five-wicket haul in the final. And Nayeem Hasan was the only spinner who stood out in the two-day matches and the one-day competition with his accuracy and spin.Among the three legspinners, only Rishad Hossain bowled enough to catch the eye, while Irfan Sukkur, the left-hand wicketkeeper-batsman, struck two half-centuries. Some of these players will remain in the selectors’ log if they continue to do well in the T20 tournament in November.Domingo’s note of caution
But as coach Domingo pointed out, these matches were mere practice matches, and he warned against putting too much emphasis on these performances. Part of Domingo’s statement was partly a counter towards the criticism of the batsmen, but he was mostly correct in his assessment.The cricketers had come back from a long break, and it was an unusual time for a group of batsmen who do better when playing international cricket regularly. That said, there were good signs, especially in the performance of the fast bowlers, and in how some of the younger cricketers did well despite the brief period of training before the tournament.

India bundled out for their lowest Test score and of course that got social media talking on a Saturday morning

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2020

Carnage! #AUSvIND

— Isa Guha (@isaguha) December 19, 2020

36?!? Wow!

— Grant Elliott (@grantelliottnz) December 19, 2020

India’s previous lowest Test total was 42.

I was too young for 42. I can now say that I watched this one live #INDvsAUS

— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) December 19, 2020

Cummins reached 150 Test wickets, and Hazlewood 200. The duo were just too good on the day.

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A post shared by Glenn McGrath (@glennmcgrath11)

One of the greatest hours of fast bowling #AUSvIND

— Javeria Khan (@ImJaveria) December 19, 2020

Wow!! What a bowling display that was from Pat Cummins & Josh Hazlewood here in Adelaide. Just outstanding. Have to feel for the Indian batsman as never saw that coming – it was one of those days where the batsman nicked everything & didn’t play and miss at all ! Unbelievable…

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) December 19, 2020

With it being a day-night Test in Adelaide, at least the nightmare wasn’t too early for India supporters.

it could be worse, we may have woken up at 5am on a Saturday for this #AUSvIND

— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) December 19, 2020

Some still missed it, and were left in amazement.

What?!!!!! I just stepped away from the telly for 10 mins!!!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/b44fohDNB7

— Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur) December 19, 2020

Wait what happened? I just went to play 9 holes came back game over . What a spell by The Australians . Pace matters. #INDvsAUSTest

— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) December 19, 2020

I woke up & saw the score 369. I couldn't believe it.
Then i washed my eyes and saw the score 36/9.
I couldn't believe it either & went back to sleep.
Video aa rahi hai.#INDvAUS #INDvsAUSTest

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) December 19, 2020

How does that work?

The OTP to forget this is 49204084041 .#INDvsAUSTest

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 19, 2020

Australia dismantled India’s hopes of going 1-0 up in no time.

Unreal win by the lads today, bowlers what an effort today!! Simply unbelievable day of cricket. @joeburns441 hits winnings runs so good. So happy for you legend

— David Warner (@davidwarner31) December 19, 2020

Very disappointed with the result. We all expect the Indian team to play better cricket #INDvAUS

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 19, 2020

Can India bounce back from his defeat?

36 will no doubt be looked at in isolation & should be too, but here’s India’s totals in last 3 Tests (2 in NZ) when the ball has moved around – 165, 191, 242, 124,244,36. Clearly India needs to improve its defensive skills. Easier said than done in today’s environment.

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) December 19, 2020

Told ya … India are going to get hammered in the Test Series … #AUSvIND #4-0

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 19, 2020

It was a bad day today no doubt but remember it's a 4 match series. We have bounced back in past and this team can do that too. #INDvAUS

— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) December 19, 2020

With the way India batted & bowled in the 1st innings, they were in the driver's seat, but the Aussies came back really hard this morning.
That is the beauty of Test cricket.
It’s NEVER over till it’s over. India was outclassed in the 2nd half. Congratulations to Australia!

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 19, 2020

The century in the Pallekele Test could become a turning point in the career of the talented No. 3 batter

Mohammad Isam14-May-2021With a picture-perfect cover drive, Najmul Hossain Shanto reaches his maiden Test century. It’s the Pallekele Test against Sri Lanka. He looks quite relieved, his partner – Mominul Haque, the Bangladesh captain – wears a broad smile and has a chat with Shanto. Then Shanto takes off his helmet and bows towards the Bangladesh dressing room. Players and support staff applaud. The bow, it turns out, was not just a random gesture. It had a deeper meaning, especially for Shanto, who then went on to score 163.”It was meant for everyone in the dressing room – the senior players, the coaching staff and the captain –  they all supported me in the last 18 months,” Shanto told . “I didn’t have the best of times in my last four or five innings, but they all kept supporting me. Everyone tried to give me confidence.”The home series against West Indies in February this year, which Bangladesh lost 2-0, hadn’t gone well for Shanto, as his scores read 25, 0, 4 and 11. A young batter who has shown potential, Shanto wasn’t scoring runs, and the team needed results. He was, therefore, half-expecting to be dropped for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka.Related

• The No. 3 problem – Bangladesh's search for an answer

• Najmul Hossain Shanto: 'I believed in myself to score big runs'

• 'Being negative makes life more difficult' – Shanto

“Self-doubt dents one’s confidence,” he said. “When I wasn’t playing well, hesitation crept in, and at times I was left wondering if I’d be picked in the next match. But everyone kept supporting me, saying that I would keep playing. Things become easier for a player when the captain and coaching staff gives more opportunities. This environment helped me focus on the match.”After being picked in the XI for Pallekele, he to score. Shanto walked out in the second over. Tamim Iqbal had settled in quickly, and that helped, Shanto said. “Tamim was batting quite easily at the other end, that too at a rapid pace. The pressure was off me. So I could bat normally. We were trying to put together a big partnership after the early wicket (of Saif Hassan).”I think what was different about this innings was how I didn’t hurry. My process was in place for some time. I was mentally relaxed. I didn’t put pressure on myself.”He ended the day unbeaten on 126, with Bangladesh at 302 for 2. It’s only after he returned to the hotel that he realised what he had done. “I was focused on just scoring runs during the innings – I didn’t feel anything special when I got the century,” Shanto said. “I spent a little time thinking about the match itself. I was enjoying batting. Only when I returned to my hotel room I started thinking about the innings.”

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After the hundred, his next three scores in the series were 0, 0 and 26. This inconsistency might make many undermine his progress but there is a reason to believe the glass is half-full, though.His 163, an innings in which he looked every bit a Test No. 3, was a mini victory from a selection point of view – consistency in selection, with the hope that the players would repay their faith.

“I break my innings down into small parts but whenever I get set, I try to make it big. This is how I have played since I was very young, and now I am trying to do the same in international cricket.”Najimul Hossain Shanto

And when a team doesn’t win often – Bangladesh are without a victory in ten matches (across formats) since February this year, with just one drawn match – the team management might not be expected to give a long rope for a player. But they did. Shanto’s century vindicated the patience shown by those who backed him. But when he didn’t score against West Indies, or those two ducks against Sri Lanka, that same support could be seen as a privilege.In Bangladesh, when it comes to backing a player for a long time, the first name that comes to mind is that of Mohammad Ashraful. It was a different time in Bangladesh cricket in 2001 at the start of his career when a debutant centurion just had to be persisted with. Mushfiqur Rahim and Iqbal had ordinary numbers at the start of their careers too, but they had played match-winning knocks in the 2007 World Cup and then announced their arrivals on the international stage.More recently, Soumya Sarkar started brightly with match-winning knocks against Pakistan and South Africa in his first 30 innings, but around that period, he also suffered a dip in form that has never really gone away. Liton Das was dropped after scoring one half-century in his first 15 innings, and it was only his 121 in the Asia Cup final against India three years ago and the unbeaten 94 against West Indies in the 2019 World Cup that brought him back.Like all of them, Shanto started off as a prodigy, having scored heavily in school and age-group cricket in Rajshahi, one of the breeding grounds for talent in Bangladesh. He rose quickly to the Under-19s, and played the 2014 and 2016 World Cups at that level.”I come from a village called Ranhat in Rajshahi where there aren’t many established cricketers. I used to cycle and walk about 20 kilometres to the Clemon Rajshahi Cricket Academy. I came through the district and divisional age-group tournaments, having played the Under-14s, Under-17s and Under-19s. My first brush with pressure was at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. The tournament was held at home. I had the anchor role, so I had to play team-specific knocks. I couldn’t just play like I wanted to. I had to stick to whatever the team needed.”Shanto made 259 runs in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup that put on him the spotlight•ICCIt was that Under-19 World Cup that grabbed the selectors’ attention. Shanto ended with 259 runs at an average of 64.75. He was fast-tracked to the senior level like many before him, and Shanto made his Test debut within 12 months of playing his last Under-19 game.”A player is introduced to fitness and technique, and begins to understand a team’s perspective at the Under-19 level,” he explained. “He can organise himself at this level, but this is the pipeline. It is very different from the senior level. I think what matters more are the high-performance teams, the ‘A’ team, and Under-23s, where a player starts to get prepared for the highest level.”

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Shanto’s reputation grew, and he was in the fringes of the national team. He made his Test debut too, but that was when Bangladesh were hit by injuries. He was brought back into the side a couple of times in 2018 and 2019 with little by way of returns. After his debut in Christchurch in 20217 against New Zealand, he played just a match the following year, against Zimbabwe. After that, he got an opportunity to play only in February 2020, against Pakistan in an away series.It was only during last year’s Rawalpindi Test that he looked comfortable in his role – driving, cutting and pulling the ball at this level for the first time. But the pandemic disrupted the calendar and he had to wait for a year to get back on the field. The break, though, seemed to have not affected his game. And the Pallekele century in April suggests he could turn the corner soon.”I have always tried to play the long innings,” he said. “I break it down into small parts but whenever I get set, I try to make it big. This is how I have played since I was very young, and now I am trying to do the same in international cricket. I have only had one (century) so far, so I am looking forward to scoring more.”I want to contribute in every win for Bangladesh, going forward. This is my main target. It can be two good catches, it can be a century or it can just be ten runs.”As far as his next target is concerned, Shanto wants to be consistent to be a part of Bangladesh’s future plans.At a time when there are three World Cups in as many years, there is every opportunity for him to establish as a reliable player. He can certainly look at batters like Rahim and Iqbal, who showed early signs of their longevity, for inspiration and also learn from the likes of Mohammad Ashraful and Aftab Ahmed about not being too complacent.With the selectors showing signs to give him a long rope, it is now about repaying their faith for Shanto, and that bow to the dressing room in Pallekele could be the start of that.

Soumya Sarkar again pushed up the order in latest of his many roles in the team

Mohammad Isam20-Mar-2021There have been two contrasting views about Soumya Sarkar. Among Bangladesh cricket’s decision-makers, he is believed to be the solution to many of the team’s batting problems. In the first ODI against New Zealand in Dunedin, Sarkar was sent in to bat at No. 3 in place of Najmul Hossain Shanto, who has been recently talked up as the batsman to be given a fair run at this position. Shanto made only 38 runs in Bangladesh’s last ODI series, but today Sarkar lasted just three balls before playing a strange dinky shot to be caught at cover. The other view about Sarkar is that he gets far too many opportunities as he is fitted into every gap that appears in the Bangladesh side. For much of the last 18 months, this group has been mostly correct.After he lost his regular place as an opener around 2018, the team management insisted on having Sarkar as a back-up option. He was flown into the middle of the 2018 Asia Cup campaign as a middle-order batsman. Against Afghanistan during the 2019 Test in Dhaka, Sarkar first opened the innings and then batted at No. 8.A few months later, the Bangladesh team management declared that he was their finisher in T20Is. However, he is yet to play a convincing innings in that position. More recently, his sudden inclusion in the second Test against West Indies sparked a major debate.In Bangladesh’s last international game, the second Test against West Indies last month, Sarkar was suddenly included in the side in place of Shakib Al Hasan even though the regular opener Saif Hassan was in the squad already. He ended up making only 0 and 13.The big – and generic – argument in favour of Sarkar is that he can play pace but it has become a bit hit-or-miss lately. Often the team management has failed to address that Sarkar hasn’t worked out his battles against deliveries outside the off stump.If the plan was to surprise the New Zealand attack, it was with a batsman who hasn’t dominated a pace attack in two years.In this game, Sarkar was walking into a cauldron of swing in the fifth over. Trent Boult had given Tamim Iqbal a memorable working over with unplayable, late-moving outswingers. Iqbal countered with a slashed six and started to look comfortable against Matt Henry at the other end, but Boult lulled him into missing an unsuspecting inswinger. Sarkar lasted all of three balls when he jabbed at one – rather softly – only to be caught at cover.

” Soumya was our sixth bowling option and he was well suited to bat at No. 3 in today’s team. He had played at No. 3 in New Zealand before.”Tamim Iqbal after the first ODI against New Zealand

It was a dismissal reminiscent of how he had missed a Tim Southee inswinger in the third ODI in Dunedin in 2019. On that occasion, Sarkar’s feet were stuck as he tried to waft at the ball that hit the top of off stump. In that game, Bangladesh were reduced to 2 for 3 in the third over, and despite a middle-order revival, went down by 88 runs. This time, they were bowled out for 131 to lose by eight wickets.After the match, Iqbal said that they had to pick Sarkar to be their sixth bowler, and from the XI they chose, only he had the capability to bat at No. 3 as he had done that before in New Zealand.”I know I had said that we are seeing Soumya at No. 7 but if you look at our combination, we didn’t have a sixth bowler,” Iqbal said. “[Mahmudullah] Riyad isn’t bowling because of his back injury. Soumya was our sixth bowling option and he was well suited to bat at No. 3 in today’s team. He had played at No. 3 in New Zealand before.”Soumya Sarkar has failed to make the most of an opportunity at the top of the order•BCBBangladesh’s top three had scored only 65 runs at an average of 7.22 in the ODI series two years ago. Their top order has struggled in New Zealand, averaging between 19 and 32.22 in the three ODI series since 2007. Iqbal has made three fifties in 13 innings while only Imrul Kayes has scored a century. There have also been only four 50-plus stands for the first two wickets.But it is in New Zealand that Bangladesh’s top three should have batted with more discipline. As batsmen used to pitches that offer almost nothing to new-ball bowlers, their real test is on pitches that are often lively – at least in the first hour. New Zealand have also consistently had one of the best bowling attacks in the world in the last two decades, and with Bangladesh’s only foray to that part of the world limited to New Zealand – having hardly ever played in Australia – doing well here should have always been on the top of their agenda.Instead, they have often promoted big-hitters like Aftab Ahmed, Mohammad Ashraful, Sabbir Rahman and Sarkar at No 3. The plan is to blast through the new-ball, but it has almost always failed to give them a good platform.Since early last year, Sarkar has been considered as a big-hitter down the order. He has made a name for himself – even if inconsistently – for his attacking play against fast bowling. One of his most memorable knocks was a 149 against New Zealand in the Hamilton Test during the 2019 tour. But since then, he has had several roles in all three formats, enough to confuse him about his actual job.Ahead of their previous ODI series against West Indies in January, the Bangladesh team management were at pains to explain why they were giving Shakib’s batting spot to Shanto, a left-hander who was yet to transform his great domestic record to the highest level.Shanto, however, has made only 73 runs in five ODIs at No. 3 in the last 12 months. His most recent failures against West Indies – 38 runs in the three ODIs and 40 runs in two Tests – got him dropped for the first game in Dunedin.But Bangladesh have been quite impatient with their No. 3s over the last ten years, with not a single batsman having played more than 23 innings from that position. The biggest example of this impatience was how they ignored Shakib’s tremendous run of form at No. 3 during the 2019 World Cup.Certainly, Shakib’s 606 runs while averaging 86.57 played a major role in Bangladesh winning the three games in the World Cup. It gave their top order not just a settled look, but also consistent aggression with Iqbal and Sarkar often firing alongside Shakib. And in the past decade, overseas ODI series have often hinged a lot on how the top three have batted. When they have done well, it has had a positive effect on the team’s overall performance.The visitors may have to do a rethink about their top three, but how would even going back to Shanto, a young batsman who is yet to play a breakthrough knock, help a team that has already been battered in the first game?