OBHAI Tri-nation T20I series has reached very crucial second stage. Winning two matches in the trot comfortably against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, Afghanistan has already confirmed its place for the final scheduled for SBNCS Dhaka on 24 September. Host Bangladesh huffed and puffed in winning against Zimbabwe. Loosing against Afghanistan it’s possibility of qualifying for the final now hinges on winning the match against Zimbabwe on 18 September at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium Chattogram.
After losing miserably in the one-off test and T20I match against Afghanistan the morale of Bengal Tigers have reached so low that even a win against Zimbabwe looks uncertain. It is not players alone, team management, BCB officials have appear nervous. Selectors are chopping and changing squad without any justification. Print, electronic and social media are letting off self contradictory news and views. Even the senior cricketers appear to have lost their form.
Confidence appears to have been terribly shaken. For the ardent followers of Bangladesh cricket it is a situation of deep frustration. Why and how a team can deplete so low in such a short time? Entire cricket community appears panicked and terribly shaken.
Background:
Only a few months back before Bangladesh launched CWC 2019 mission it was widely believed that Bangladesh may even qualify for the semi final of the global event. Bangladesh performed brilliantly in the Tri Nation ODI series held in Ireland involving host and West Indies. Mashrafe squad made rollicking start winning the first match against strong South Africa. They also won against West Indies and Afghanistan. But loosing other 5 matches and sharing points with Sri Lanka in a rain ruined match Bangladesh finished 8th among the ten-nation tournament just above West Indies and Afghanistan.
Of all the Bangladeshis star all rounder Shakib Al Hasan had outstanding performance with bat and ball. Mustafiz got 20 wickets but could not bowl consistent well in winning matches. Mushfiq had success in bits and pieces. All other players including Mashrafe, Tamim and Mahmudullah performed poorly. Bangladesh definitely failed to live up to its expectation. In general analysis batting apart from Shakib was extremely poor, fielding was diabolic, and bowling was below average.
The entire BCB family, including hyper active BCB President, was in England and Wales. Thousands of dollars from BCB fund were alleged to have been spent for Air Tickets and out of pocket expenses. Some very controversial reports appeared about dressing room gossips. Usually after such a failed mission a post mortem time review is done. The head coach and manager are asked to give report. Nothing such was done. The head coach and coaching staff were made scapegoat. Definitely player management was among other reasons for the below average performance. But team manager was however retained. Not only that he was sent as head Coach for the Sri Lanka tour which followed as head coach and most of the coaching staff were let gone by that time. We all know about Sri Lanka white washing Bangladesh and Casino scandal. While all these were happening Shakib was allowed to skip for staying with his family relaxing and later performing pilgrimage. Tamim later stayed on self exile for recovering his form.
Bangladesh hurriedly engaged new head coach, bowling, fielding coach and physio only a few weeks before scheduled Afghanistan one off test and Tri Nation T20 series involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. The fitness level of most of Bangladeshi players was found at very low level. The new bowling and head coach sounded to have been impressed with some pace bowlers including Taskin, Ebadat and Mustafiz. Keeping the world quality Afghan spin attack and their experience of playing well in sub continental condition planning was heard to prepare grass top sporting wicket and unleash at least two pacers in the one off Chattogram test. BCB selection committee also selected a squad keeping three genuine pacers in the squad. Surprising all Mustafiz and Saifuddin were not included for the test.
Surprising all also bare wicket was presented and Bangladesh appeared with 4 regular, three part time spinners and 8 batsmen against Afghanistan. There were no genuine pacers. Playing much superior all round game Rashid Khan led Afghan squad humiliated Bangladesh winning big by 224 runs.
Bangladesh was caught in own trap. The similar strategy taken earlier against Australia, England and West Indies of castling well crafted Afghans boomeranged. Questions were asked even by master of all trade BCB high official about flawed planning, poor playing eleven selection and commitment of players. There was no home work done for the one off test. Possibly Bangladesh took Afghanistan very lightly. Afghans made extensive preparation in India and UAE. They came with “Horses for the Courses”, a wonderful blend of top class spinners, good enough pace attack and quality batsmen. Bangladesh could have let some of its main batsmen appear in the practice match against Afghanistan to give them a feel but did not. We all know the consequence. While Afghanistan batted, bowled and fielded so well Bangladesh looked like a Tornado ravaged lot.
Zimbabwe arrived and T20 series started. Bangladesh huffed and puffed all the way in its narrow 3 wickets win over Zimbabwe in its first match. From a disastrous situation teenager Afif and young Mossadek rescued Bangladesh as a saving grace . Afghanistan won comfortably against Zimbabwe and followed its success in test with another comfortable win against Bangladesh.
In the meantime BCB selectors kept its chopping and changing the squad going. Shakib experimented with batting order. The original squad selected did not include Rubel, Shafiur, Taskin and Rony. It had a rookie pacer Yasin, a spinning all rounder Mehedy Hasan. After the tight first match Rony was added to the squad in the excuse of Yasin getting injured. Neither Rony nor Mehedy Hasan was included in the second match against Afghanistan. Surprising all for the last two matches BCB announced a new squad releasing Yasin, Rony and Mehedy Hasan and scrapping Soumya Sarkar. 
Rubel and Shafiur have been called back. Nazmul Shanto and along with him two youngsters Naeem Sheikh and Aminul Islam have been added. Genuine questions are being asked? Why experienced Rubel and Shafiur were not there in the original squad? Why a budding teenager Yasin was preferred and now abandoned without letting him play? Why Rony was hurried into the squad for the second match and again dropped? Shanto is not a great T20 player. Will he play in the eleven? Why two budding youngsters Naeem and Aminul are included? Will they have same fate as Yasin and Mehedy Hasan? Is BCB selection committee doing all these childish acts on own accord or are being tutored?
Anyway bottom line is well clear. Bangladesh must I repeat must win against Zimbabwe to qualify for the final. At this moment with team moral dipped low none should expect Bangladesh turning the table against favorite Afghanistan. Mind you the next engagement of Bangladesh is against strong India in India in November. God saves Bangladesh.
BDST: 0938 HRS, SEP 17, 2019
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