Another rage tuner on the cards!
||CF Correspondent||
Bangladesh are ready to play to their strength in a bid to ensure the Test series against West Indies, revealed BCB Cricket Operations chairman Akram Khan. If Akram’s revelation is anything to go by, the wicket of Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, which hosts the second and final Test on Friday, will be another rage turner.
Akram, also the former Bangladesh skipper, however was not dead sure or didn’t reveal completely what type of wicket the Mirpur is going to produce.
But the lesser number of pacer in the second Test’s squad suggests that Bangladesh will emphasize on spin yet again.
“We actually want to take advantage of home grounds. We can take anyone in the squad anytime when we are playing at home. Since the spinning wicket was in Chittagong, we took more spinners,” Akram Khan said yesterday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
“We will still see the wicket during the practice-session tomorrow and take a decision depending on the wicket. Our young bowlers are doing well. Those who are not in the squad, such as Ebadat (Hossain) and Rahi (Abu Jayed), are doing well. The ones in the team are also doing well. So we can bring whoever we need, as we’re playing in the country.”
Bangladesh never won any Test series against any team apart from Zimbabwe since whitewashing a depleted West Indian side, weakened due to the absence of first choice players following a pay dispute with the board, in 2009. The Tigers last won a Test series against Zimbabwe in 2014 when they whitewashed the Southern African nation in a three-match series.
With 1-0 up against West Indies at the moment, there is opportunity to break the jinx of series victory.
“We have two more days to decide. Our batsmen are also playing well alongside the spinners. Mominul, Riyad, and Shakib did well. Then there is a lower-order batsman, Nayeem. To perform as a team is more important. Irrespective of the wicket, if the team plays well and win, then the team morale is good,” Akram said.
“This was our first win at home against West Indies, so it has boosted the team’s morale. Moreover, we won the first match of the series without some of our important players. That's a positive side for us.
“Wickets and toss are certainly important factors. We won the toss in the last match. And since we have the opportunity of winning the series, we will try to give the best team. It could be a spinning wicket or a pace-friendly one as well.”
