**Official** Bangladesh in Sri Lanka

[Perm]

Isn't that very unprofessional? At test level, a tail-ender should know his task!

Another thing I wonder: I've read some commentaries. Some suggest that Murali was just as good as ever, but that Ashraful and Rahim simply found out how to handle his bowling. That could be interesting for other batsmen that face Murali!

Well it depends what way you look at it, it's very professional for the set batsman to try and protect his partner by keeping most of the strike, and in some cases that is to be applauded (Hussey and McGrath's hundred partnership). However, a lot of batsman are placing more trust in the bowlers to hold up and end and instead of trying to protect them they will merely look to score a big more aggressively.

Ashraful and Rahim are two very fine players of spin and I think they used their feet to combat Muralitharan effectively, coupled with the sweep shot. I've never had much doubt that when the Bangladeshi batsman are in good touch and feeling confident that they can take on Muralitharan, but more often than not they just try to play him out rather tentatively and make a mistake with the edge or an LBW.

 

[Aritro]

Oh, no doubt that it was time for Mushfiqur to come into the side, personally I would've had him there for the 1st Test. Just pointing out that Mashud has done a fairly good job for Bangladesh in the past.

Why on earth would you want to bat Mushfiqur at #3? Maybe in ODI cricket it's a possibility but at Test level I wouldn't even contemplate the idea, the balance of the team will be better with him at #7 unless Aftab Ahmed or Alok Kapali sort themselves out.

As well as having a superb temperment, he's got the most compact technique in Bangladesh by some margin. I think he's a born no.3, and he's pretty much a certainty to bat there for us after he's got a couple more years experience under his belt.

Also, I've advocated both those players as possible no.7s before. Kapali in particular, if he keeps improving at the rate he has been in the last 12 months, could do a very handy job as a lower order batsman who chips in a calm 30 runs per innings as well as bowling some leg spin.

 

[Perm]

As well as having a superb temperment, he's got the most compact technique in Bangladesh by some margin. I think he's a born no.3, and he's pretty much a certainty to bat there for us after he's got a couple more years experience under his belt.

Also, I've advocated both those players as possible no.7s before. Kapali in particular, if he keeps improving at the rate he has been in the last 12 months, could do a very handy job as a lower order batsman who chips in a calm 30 runs per innings as well as bowling some leg spin.

If he wasn't keeping wicket for long periods of time then certainly I would advocate trying him at #3, as it is though I am not too fond of the idea as it will place added and unnecessary strain on him, something he doesn't need at this stage in his career. Maybe the selectors will look to put him there in a couple of years, but it certainly wouldn't be the path I would choose for him, not unless Kapali or Aftab were good enough to be batting at #7.

 

[Aritro]

If he wasn't keeping wicket for long periods of time then certainly I would advocate trying him at #3, as it is though I am not too fond of the idea as it will place added and unnecessary strain on him, something he doesn't need at this stage in his career. Maybe the selectors will look to put him there in a couple of years, but it certainly wouldn't be the path I would choose for him, not unless Kapali or Aftab were good enough to be batting at #7.

Yeah, the keeping will definitely cause a problem as far his batting no.3 goes. However, it didn't stop Alec Stewart or Andy Flower (early in his career) opening the batting.

 

[Prince EWS]

I think he's a born no.3

So is Rajin Saleh though. Quickly becoming one of the most under-rated test batsmen going around IMO. I don't think Rahim will bat much higher than 6, given he's the wicket keeper, unless he's ridiculously better than the guys batting ahead of him.

 

[Perm]

Yeah, the keeping will definitely cause a problem as far his batting no.3 goes. However, it didn't stop Alec Stewart or Andy Flower (early in his career) opening the batting.

Mushfiqur Rahim, fine young batsman though he is, comes nowhere close to Andy Flower, Alec Stewart or Kumar Sangakarra, three wicket keepers who have all batted higher up the order and taken the gloves.

 

[Perm]

So is Rajin Saleh though. Quickly becoming one of the most under-rated test batsmen going around IMO.

Exactly, the middle order of Saleh, Bashar and Ashraful should be set in concrete for the next couple of years IMO. What with Ashraful being the captain and virtually assured of a spot while Bashar is the best Test batsman Bangladesh have produced and Saleh quite possible going to overtake him in the future.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, the keeping will definitely cause a problem as far his batting no.3 goes. However, it didn't stop Alec Stewart or Andy Flower (early in his career) opening the batting.

Yeah, but Stewart eventually moved down the order due to it though, and Flower was one of those "ridiculously better than those above him" cases, who only really kept in the first place because they had no-one else.

 

[Aritro]

So is Rajin Saleh though. Quickly becoming one of the most under-rated test batsmen going around IMO. I don't think Rahim will bat much higher than 6, given he's the wicket keeper, unless he's ridiculously better than the guys batting ahead of him.

I'm not one for hyperbole but I've been following Mushfiq's career for several years now and IMO he's probably the most promising batsman we've ever produced. He's not far short of Ashraful, Aftab and Kapali in terms of talent and absolutely light years ahead of all of them in temperment. He was, by some margin, the best player in a youth team that included Tamim, Sakib and Mehrab Hossain and when he was 16, Richard McInnes described him as 'the most professional cricketer in Bangladesh'.

Saleh's one of my favourites in this Bangladesh team but he doesn't hold a candle to Mushfiq IMO. That 170 ball half century he scored in the first test pretty much highlighted all his weaknesses (can't play leg side shots or rotate the strike and is generally a bit lacking in class) as well as showcasing his best strengths (strong defence, concentration).

That said, he's only 4 matches into his Test career and I won't be complaining if we persist with Saleh at no.3.

 

[Aritro]

Exactly, the middle order of Saleh, Bashar and Ashraful should be set in concrete for the next couple of years IMO. What with Ashraful being the captain and virtually assured of a spot while Bashar is the best Test batsman Bangladesh have produced and Saleh quite possible going to overtake him in the future.

I'll be staggered if Bashar manages to avoid the chop after the next home series. His faculties have been dwindling noticably for a while, and given that he's 36 or so (actual age, his birth certificate says 34), he's not likely to regain them.

 

[Perm]

I'll be staggered if Bashar manages to avoid the chop after the next home series. His faculties have been dwindling noticably for a while, and given that he's 36 or so (actual age, his birth certificate says 34), he's not likely to regain them.

Who would you replace him with? If he is still scoring runs then I'd keep him in the Test side, especially considering there hasn't been any rumblings from underneath in relation to the captaincy. Bashar is easily the best Test batsman Bangladesh have produced, his record speaks for itself, and I see no reason to exclude him at the current point of time.

 

[Aritro]

Who would you replace him with? If he is still scoring runs then I'd keep him in the Test side, especially considering there hasn't been any rumblings from underneath in relation to the captaincy. Bashar is easily the best Test batsman Bangladesh have produced, his record speaks for itself, and I see no reason to exclude him at the current point of time.

Yes, I wouldn't expect him to be dropped at the moment but I'll be very surprised if he makes runs in the 3rd test and even more surprised if he has a successful series against New Zealand.

You're right in saying there's no immediate replacement for him though. Tushar Imran is next in line, but he's as far as footwork and technique goes, he makes Bashar look like Bradman.

Aftab's another possibility, but I don't see the point of replacing Bashar with someone equally unlikely to make runs in test cricket.

Eventually his middle order spot will go to a lad called Raqibul Hasan. He was the first Bangladeshi to make a triple hundred in first class cricket and finished the season with an average of 57. He was also the standout performer in our A team series against Sri Lanka and backed it up with a string of superb displays for our Academy team.

That might be a couple of years away though.

 

[Nishan]

suddnly Murali wickets went from easy to hard against bangladesh, Why dont these tigers bat like this all the time to shut people up who claim they are easy wickets? Defintly an attitude thing IMO.

 

[Raghav]

suddnly Murali wickets went from easy to hard against bangladesh, Why dont these tigers bat like this all the time to shut people up who claim they are easy wickets? Defintly an attitude thing IMO.

Everyday is not sunday

 

[Perm]

suddnly Murali wickets went from easy to hard against bangladesh, Why dont these tigers bat like this all the time to shut people up who claim they are easy wickets? Defintly an attitude thing IMO.

Attitude has a big part in it I feel, Ashraful and Rahim showed a lot of determination and confidence against Muralitharan in that second innings, using their feet effectively to counter his turn and just playing him like any other bowler. They didn't retreat into their shells or try to go after him, two cardinal mistakes when facing a bowler of his quality. Instead they were content to put the bad balls away to the boundary and didn't worry about how many wickets the bowler had under his belt.

 

[Perm]

Yes, I wouldn't expect him to be dropped at the moment but I'll be very surprised if he makes runs in the 3rd test and even more surprised if he has a successful series against New Zealand.

You're right in saying there's no immediate replacement for him though. Tushar Imran is next in line, but he's as far as footwork and technique goes, he makes Bashar look like Bradman.

Aftab's another possibility, but I don't see the point of replacing Bashar with someone equally unlikely to make runs in test cricket.

Eventually his middle order spot will go to a lad called Raqibul Hasan. He was the first Bangladeshi to make a triple hundred in first class cricket and finished the season with an average of 57. He was also the standout performer in our A team series against Sri Lanka and backed it up with a string of superb displays for our Academy team.

That might be a couple of years away though.

I really do hope that Bashar scores runs in this next Test and makes the trip to New Zealand, he is in danger of being remember as a poor captain and batsman which is definately not true (in Test cricket anyway). I have never been too impressed with Tushar Imran, he's got quite a poor domestic record and only averages around 31. Aftab and Kapali don't quite have the same record, but they can both bowl quite a few overs which adds more weight to their possible selection.

No doubt that Raqibul has had a superb start to his career but I'd give him a couple of years to mature and get more runs under his belt for Barisal and Bangladesh A before he even comes into consideration for a Test berth.

 

[Prince EWS]

suddnly Murali wickets went from easy to hard against bangladesh, Why dont these tigers bat like this all the time to shut people up who claim they are easy wickets? Defintly an attitude thing IMO.

Well if you look at that second innings, it was just one partnership. The openers got starts and then threw it away, and the middle order folded like a pack of cards - as did the tail. It was just Ashraful and Rahim - not the entire lineup, so it's hardly an attitude thing, just a couple of rare good innings from their lower middle order.

 

[Prince EWS]

I really do hope that Bashar scores runs in this next Test and makes the trip to New Zealand, he is in danger of being remember as a poor captain and batsman which is definately not true (in Test cricket anyway). I have never been too impressed with Tushar Imran, he's got quite a poor domestic record and only averages around 31. Aftab and Kapali don't quite have the same record, but they can both bowl quite a few overs which adds more weight to their possible selection.

No doubt that Raqibul has had a superb start to his career but I'd give him a couple of years to mature and get more runs under his belt for Barisal and Bangladesh A before he even comes into consideration for a Test berth.

With risk of stating the obvious, what about Saqibul? From what I've seen of him in one day cricket, he has a better technique and a better temperament than not only the guys that are being mentioned as possible replacements for Bashar, but some of the guys in the team currently as well. He can bowl too.

 

[James90]

I really do hope that Bashar scores runs in this next Test and makes the trip to New Zealand, he is in danger of being remember as a poor captain and batsman which is definately not true (in Test cricket anyway). I have never been too impressed with Tushar Imran, he's got quite a poor domestic record and only averages around 31. Aftab and Kapali don't quite have the same record, but they can both bowl quite a few overs which adds more weight to their possible selection.

No doubt that Raqibul has had a superb start to his career but I'd give him a couple of years to mature and get more runs under his belt for Barisal and Bangladesh A before he even comes into consideration for a Test berth.

Aftab and Alok are technically must better cricketers that Tushar and really could have gone far with the right attitude. Aftab still could IMO. Tushar will never be much of a batsman but he has a good cricketing brain. He'd be captain at the moment if he could bat well enough to have a place in the side.

I was once a huge Bashar fan but he really is past it. It's unfortunate because they need a solid runscorer now more than ever.

They will definitely put up a better show in the third test. If it's over in three days I'll put a photo of me and Khaled Mahmud as my avatar for a month.

 

[Perm]

With risk of stating the obvious, what about Saqibul? From what I've seen of him in one day cricket, he has a better technique and a better temperament than not only the guys that are being mentioned as possible replacements for Bashar, but some of the guys in the team currently as well. He can bowl too.

TBH I don't know why he was dropped after the first Test in which he performed quite well. For me, he is the ideal #6 in the future of Bangladesh cricket. His First Class record isn't that flash, but he has shone glimpses of his potential in ODI cricket and can obviously handle the pressure surrounding players on the international arena.