Tigers missing Taskin badly

Bangladesh cricket team is missing their pace spearhead, Taskin Ahmed, badly in Test matches as the replacement pacers are performing very poorly.

Taskin has been the most successful pacer for Bangladesh as he picked 13 wickets in three Test matches he played in 2021.

Ebadot Hossain is playing his fourth Test of the year, and he has picked only four wickets so far. Among them, two came in the last Test against Pakistan in Chattogram.

Abu Jayed Rahi played four matches, he started the year with an impressive bowling display against West Indies where he picked six wickets in the Dhaka Test, but after that, he is yet to pick any in the next three Tests.

Khaled Ahmed is playing his first Test match in 2021, and he is also yet to pick any wicket in the ongoing Dhaka Test against Pakistan.

Whether at home or abroad, the pace bowling attack of Bangladesh without Taskin is looking toothless.

Even in favourable conditions, pacers failed to produce any remarkable performance, which cost Bangladesh dearly. Due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, the weather in Dhaka was gloomy, cloudy and the sky was overcast, which is very much in favour of pace bowling.

But with the new ball, Ebadot and Khaled failed to pressurise the Pakistan batsmen. Even on Monday, when the play resumed only for 38 balls, the pacers looked hapless and indisciplined.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, on Friday, told the media about his efforts for picking wickets.

“Most of the wickets in Asia are on the slower side. People say that spinners get help on these surfaces, but if one is well built and strong, he can also become very effective. Here bowling in pairs is the key. Hasan must get his share of credit as well. Whenever I bowl with Hasan Ali, we decide who will attack and who will check the runs,” said Shaheen.

But none of these attributes was visible in Ebadot and Khaled, who bowled 12 and 7.2 overs in this Test, but failed to get a wicket. They could not put pressure, failed to utilise the shine of the new ball and the conditions.

Bangladesh team fielding coach Mizanur Rahman, who was once a pacer gave poor marks to the pacers.

“If we evaluate neutrally, I must say that their performance was not good. If I evaluate the first ball, which went to the boundary, despite maximum fielders on the off-side. I must say, we did not bowl well. We have played two pacers, the conditions were favourable, but we could not do well,” Mizanur told the media after the end of day two.

“In our country, spinners have the advantage due to the conditions but if you compare our pacers from their counterparts from other countries, I will give them six out of 10,” he added.

If Taskin played in both Tests, the scenario could be different. But he was ruled out from the Test series due to his injury, which he suffered during the third Twenty20 international against Pakistan. It was a dead-rubber as Bangladesh had lost the series, but the team management still opted for him, and his injury put him out of the Test series.

Mizanur thinks that if Taskin returns to the team in the series against New Zealand, Bangladesh’s pace attack will have a fang.

“Taskin is our fastest and the most experienced pacer. If he can bowl extraordinarily or is given some added responsibilities, then I think he can give initial breakthrough,” said the fielding coach.