Post
by jaybro » Thu Mar 21, 2019 12:13 am
Looking at the recent Test series here are my marks out of 10
Tamim Iqbal - 8.5/10 Disappointing ODI series but he killed it in the Tests with 278 runs @69.5 with a century and two more fifty plus scores. He really took apart the Kiwi bowling striking at over 80!!! Disappointing his heroics weren't rewarded.
Shadman Islam - 5.5/10 Four innings four starts no fifty plus scores shows he's a player with promise but also really should have go on for a couple of big scores considering the pitches were fairly placid (even the Green Monster). Looks to be a player for the future, but the same has been said for many a Bangladeshi opener.
Mominul Haque - 1/10 No arguments granted here Mominul was utterly hopeless on this tour, I like Mominul but the truth is he can only score on flat tracks at home, even on these docile pitches he was caught out and his weakness against the short ball is one he can't seem to overcome. Maybe he needs to move down the order away from home?
Mohammed Mithun - 2.5/10 One decent score of 47 but apart from that single figures, not sure if he's a Test player and probably not in the side if Shakib is fit anyways. The constant failures of Mominul and Mithun are what really killed the Bangladeshi batting, Numbers 3 & 4 should be where the premier batsman score the big runs.
Souyma Sarker - 6.5/10 Hard to judge Sarker because his 149 was top shelf but the rest of his outings were poor, the story of his career so far, dashes of utter brilliance surrounded by a string of failures. If he can ever become consistent he might be the best Bangladeshi batsman in the side, as mentioned by Kriterion he needs to learn to hit the ball on the ground more, took a couple of wickets as well.
Mahmudullah - 7.5/10 Good series by the stand in captain scoring a ton and a fifty although both were in the 2nd innings after the result was pretty much done. Probably should have batted @4 to save Mithun but he's spent the majority of his career down @ 6 or 7. Took one wicket in the only over he bowled, he's a better bowler than people think and if he's going to bat 6 or 7 he should bowl more IMO.
Liton Das - 2.5/10 Two starts but a poor series all round for Das who really has disappointed me in recent times, looks a good player but can't make the scores. Back to the domestic competition or even some A tours IMO so he can work his game out, still a player for the future but you can't keep carrying these guys.
Mehidy Hasan - 1.5/10 Bowled a lot of overs in the 1st Test before being rightfully dropped, his accurate spinners might work at home on a dusty Mirpur pitch but he's proven to be ineffective in foreign conditions. Granted bowling off-spin in NZ is about as appealing as a holiday in Baghdad, but he needs to be at least keeping one end tight if he can't take wickets. 50 overs @5 an over really isn't anywhere close to being good enough, did nothing with the bat either.
Taijul Islam - 5/10 Bowled fairly well to be fair and took a couple of wickets after replacing Mehidy for the 2nd Test, probably a bit expensive but looking at the series as a whole the majority of the bowlers went for over 4 an over. Definitely a better bowler than Mehidy IMO especially overseas, the fact Shakib bowls SLA as well and Mehidy is a better batsman will probably mean he will continue to have limited chances.
Abu Jayed - 6/10 Maybe a bit generous considering he only took 3 wickets, but he was the best Bangladeshi bowler and his fielders really let him down. Still has plenty to learn and needs to find a way to be effective or at least economical when the ball stops moving, but he's the best Test seamer they have IMO despite his lack of pace.
Ebadat Hossain - 2/10 Showed promise and had some decent pace but one wicket for the series and going for four and half an over it's hard to give him much more than a two. Definitely one for the future and would benefit from playing more games overseas in conditions that suit him.
Mustafizur Rahman - 1/10 Disappointing tour in all for the Fizz especially considering they only played him the one Test, isn't he suppose to be the leader of the attack?? I think he's very much overrated as a Test bowler and I think it would be in his best interest to retire from Tests and concentrate on limited overs stuff, considering he seems to miss every 2nd Test anyways.
Khaled Ahmed - 1/10 Wicket-less than dropped it's hard to give him more than a 1 but IMO despite the fact he's gone two Tests without getting a wicket he's still got more potential than the majority of seam bowlers in the Country. Much like Abu and Ebadat he would benefit from bowling more often in conditions that suit him.
All in all not too much to write home about apart from Tamim, Mahmudullah and Souyma's one innings, but considering they were missing Shakib & Mushy and they couldn't take a catch it's hard to expect them to do much better. Their recent journeys away from the Sub-continent (in Tests) has shown they are making little to no improvement with the ball, especially seam bowling. Maybe it's because they continue to bring in guys throw them in the deep end then discard them? or maybe it's just a fact that Bangladesh will never produce quality seam bowlers?
I think it's the former rather than the latter, so many guys come in look good but don't get wickets and then they're gone!!! For guys like Ebadat & Khaled like the guys who toured last time in Kamrul & Roy, they've probably never seen pitches like this let alone bowled on them. If Baangladesh are serious about improving in overseas Tests (which I don't think they care about) they really need to be sending these guys on more A tours or even better still arrange Test series in Ireland & Zimbabwe to at least give these guys a chance to find their feet.
Against the likes of Williamson, Taylor and co. these guys have no chance, they're getting belted for 4 or 5 an over and they're not learning anything, at least against the Irish or Zimbos they won't be blown off the park, once they find their feet and start to even possibly get the better off their opposition in such conditions they'll be better served to invade NZ and other such places.
Obviously Ireland and Zimbabwe would struggle to fund more than 1 home Test against Bangladesh, but if the BCB are serious about improving they should be able to work out a way to make a 3 Test series possible in partnership with the host, I'm sure Rabbithole or who ever the local broadcaster in Bangladesh would happily televise the series considering the time zone it should make for prime time viewing back home.
1.G.Flower 2.B.Taylor 3.M.Goodwin 4.A.Flower 5.D.Houghton 6.N.Johnson 7.T.Taibu 8.P.Strang 9.H.Streak 10.R.Price 11.H.Olonga 12.A.Campbell
