Liton Das should open in ODIs – Salahuddin
After smashing a wonderful 61 from just 32 balls, Liton Das has shot himself into the limelight. He has been a regular fixture in the Tests and T20Is but is yet to cement a place in the ODI squad.
It is for this reason that he didn’t play a single match in the ODI series against West Indies. However, Mohammad Salahuddin, who is considered by many Bangladeshi players as their mentor, believes that the wicketkeeper-batsman should be given a chance in the ODI teams as well.
He believes that Das’ ability to play in T20s and Tests means that he has the quality to play in the 50-over format as well.
"Certainly it is the right time for Liton to earn a place in the ODI side because if someone is capable of playing Tests and T20Is, then he surely has the skill to do well in ODIs," Salahuddin told Cricbuzz.
He then revealed his astonishment at the fact that Das wasn’t picked in the side for any of the three ODIs despite scoring 70 runs in a practice 50-over game prior to the series.
"It was surprising that he did not feature in the ODIs despite scoring 70-odd runs in the practice game," he said. "When someone is hitting the ball well he should be tried because that is the time his confidence is at the peak. And if he manages to get a few more good scores, chances are that he will settle down eventually.
Finally, Salahuddin added that the Tigers need to understand the type of opening partner they want for Tamim Iqbal and that Das’ knock in the last T20I is sure to put him in the list of contenders to be Tamim Iqbal’s partner.
"We have to first realise what kind of an opener we are looking for to partner Tamim in ODIs, and certainly this knock of Liton opened up his case in front of the selectors if not anything else," Salahuddin said.
