Selectors looking at BPL for T20 specialists

National selectors are looking forward to the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League, slated to take place during December-January of the 2021-22 season to find Twenty20 specialists.

Bangladesh put a shambolic performance in the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman, where their batting looked clueless and outdated for the format.

As an immediate response, Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hassan consulted with a few BCB directors, former captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and one-day international skipper Tamim Iqbal.

Khaled Mahmud, chairman of the Game Development Committee in his previous tenure as BCB director, is likely to be appointed as ‘Team Director’, with successful domestic coach Mohammad Salahuddin possibly getting appointed as the assistant coach of the national team.

Mahmud has already started a training camp with seven cricketers- Najmul Hossain Shanto, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Towhid Hridoy, Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Tanveer Islam.

Presently, 15 cricketers- Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam. Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Mahedi Hasan, Nurul Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Shamim Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Afif Hossain are under BCB’s central contract for Twenty20 internationals.

This contract will expire in December 2021. The Tigers are scheduled to play three T20Is against Pakistan on November 19, 20 and 22 before the T20 contract expires.

A three-match T20I series, along with the two Tests of the World Test Championship, away at New Zealand is also scheduled in December-January.

The visiting contingent has been allocated space for 35 people, from early December, in the Managed Isolation Quarantine by the New Zealand government.

Mahmud told the media that a sudden change was not possible, and selector Habibul Bashar informed The Business Post that they will look for T20 specialists in the upcoming BPL.

“We will be observing the upcoming BPL very closely. As it is our most competitive T20 tournament, we will try to find some new talents for the T20 team. And about the contract, it’s up to the board,” he said.

Bangladesh lost Shakib Al Hasan and Saifuddin from the T20 World Cup squad due to injury, and Habibul said that these two all-rounders will not be available for the T20 series against Pakistan.

“Yes, Shakib and Saif are not available for the Pakistan series, at least for the T20 part,” he told TBP.

Some media reports suggested that Liton and Soumya will be permanently discarded from the T20 team, but Habibul ruled out the issue.

“You cannot rule someone out permanently. But maybe they will not be considered for some time,” said the former captain.

With Shakib and Saifuddin unavailable and the possible omission of a few others due to poor showings at the T20 World Cup, there will be a few spots up for grab and journeyman Yasir Rabbi wants to get hold of one this time.

“(I have been called up for the national team) at least four to five times since 2019. I was a bit frustrated and talked about it to a senior cricketer. He said that, where I am today, many cricketers are not even there. He said if I think like that it will be better for me. But If I always think about why I have not been picked yet, that will only push me back,” said Rabbi, who is yet to make his debut for Bangladesh in any format.

The middle-order batsman told the media that in this camp, they are working with power hitting and expanding their range of shots.

“If the team wants me to be a power hitter, I will prepare myself for that role. Courage is very important for this. Without courage, you can’t hit sixes,” he said.