Uncapped locals outshine global stars

Uncapped Bangladeshi players have proven to be more impactful than T20 stars in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League 2022 so far, an unlikely trend in the tournament.

The general trend of BPL has always been that foreign players along with a few national stars obtain the limelight, with others playing second fiddle.

In both the 2018 and 2019-20 seasons, South African Rilee Rossouw finished as the highest run-scorer. In seven seasons, only twice has a Bangladeshi batsman managed to finish as the top run-scorer, Mushfiqur Rahim in 2013 and Tamim Iqbal in 2016.

Andre Russell was the player of the tournament last season, with Chris Gayle and Ashar Zaidi also winning it once in previous seasons.

But this time around, the tables have turned. While the international stars have fared well, local players with no international experience have impressed.

Nahidul Islam, playing for Comilla Victorians, has been a revelation this tournament. He has picked up nine wickets in five matches, at an average of 9.66 and a strike rate of 12.6. But what has been extraordinary is his economy, as the off-spinner has given away only 4.57 runs per over, the lowest in the tournament.

Tanvir Islam, Comilla’s left-arm spinner, has picked up eight wickets from five matches and has an impressive economy of 6.26.

Fortune Barishal’s Mehedi Hasan Rana won them a match against Khulna Tigers with three wickets in the penultimate over. Another one of their pacers, Shafiqul Islam, has also been impressive.

Chattogram Challengers’ all-rounder Mrittunjoy Chowdhury has picked up eight wickets in his four matches, including a hat-trick against Sylhet Sunrisers, which helped them secure a win by 16 runs.

Also, players like Nazmul Islam Apu, Anamul Haque, and Imrul Kayes, who have been out of the national team for some time now, have impressed.

On the flip side, players like Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Faf Du Plessis, and Gayle have been playing almost since the start of the tournament, but have failed to make a mark.

Gayle, in his five matches, has scored only 117 runs, that too with a strike rate of only 117. Du Plessis has been even more unimpressive, scoring only 99 runs in five matches despite having an innings of 83 under his belt.

Russell, playing for Minister Dhaka, has been shambolic with the bat as he has scored only 61 runs in five innings. His six-hitting ability is fabled throughout the globe, but in five opportunities, he has hit only five. He hasn’t impressed with the ball either, picking up eight wickets with an economy of 9.42.

Russell’s compatriot, Bravo, has shined with the ball with 10 wickets but has done next to nothing with the bat as he has scored only 58 runs in five innings. So far in the tournament, the big overseas names have flopped, and teams with capable local players are leading the charts, that are Comilla and Barishal.

This also comes as a surprise as, since their debut in the format, Bangladesh have looked like a fish out of water in Twenty20 internationals.

Former Bangladesh cricketer Hasibul Hossain Shanto believes this has happened because the local cricketers have finally begun to understand the value of T20s.

“Cricketers have finally started to understand the value of T20 cricket. They know that if they can perform in this format, they will get opportunities in many places, improving their economic condition. Thus, they have become more serious about it and have been improving themselves,” Shanto told The Business Post.

He added, “There have been local tournaments around the country, and these domestic players play there. The more they play, they will improve, and this has been a factor.”

Shanto added that fewer quality overseas cricketers have been on show this time, but it’s the Bangladeshi players who have outshone them.

“Not many quality overseas players have arrived this time. But still, it is the local players’ performances that have taken the spotlight away from them,” he said.

Another former cricketer, Tareq Aziz, believes that the quality was always there, but the local cricketers are getting more exposure this time as they are playing more.

“The local players are getting more chances to play in this edition than the previous ones because of the revised playing conditions (maximum of three foreigners in the XI instead of four). Those who have played well have always played well. What they are getting more now is the focus, which was missing in the previous editions,” the former pacer said.

He added, “It’s a positive side that the local players are getting the chance to play more. As this is a platform to create players, we need to see who can handle pressure situations and judge them based on that.”