|| CF Correspondent ||

Bangladeshi bowlers need to pull up their socks as they are nearing the business end of the ongoing ICC World Cup.

Bangladesh is currently at the fifth spot and have all the chance to reach the semi-final but until now that is largely due to the effort of their batsman rather than the performance of their bowlers, who has remained off the mark and well below par in comparison with other top teams.

Tigers’ bowling attack, as they conceded 1,845 runs in six matches, most by any side in the competition and have been taken for 300-plus totals on four occasions, which is also more than all other competing teams.

The extent of Bangladesh’s bowling weakness was exposed against batting powerhouse teams like England and Australia as they piled on 386-6 and 381-5 respectively but what seemed to be alarming was that it seemed the attack looked to be completely toothless.

Absence of tear away fast bowler and a leg spinner in their line-up unlike some other teams looked to be giving them some hard time as some other teams are reaping benefits of having them under their tutelage.

As a result Tigers have managed to bowl out their opposition only in only one occasion in the competition, in their 62-run win against Afghanistan while it seemed their lack of variations allowed their opponent to pile the gig totals against them so far in the competition.

Failing to strike initially looks to be the major problems for Bangladesh as they managed to provide breakthroughs only thrice in the competition during the first power-play of a match only thrice so far while top-standing teams like England did it on five matches and Australia and New Zealand did it in four matches in their first six matches.

“When you fail to start well in a match it becomes difficult. If we can take two wickets in first ten overs, the best things can happen. If we take three, there is nothing better than that. But we have to target of taking at least two wickets, other than that when spinners come next they fail to put the pressure,’’ Shakib told reporters after the match against Afghanistan.

“Because two batsmen remain set on the crease, so they can play very easily. But if the wickets fell in regular interval then spinners get much help, because then they will be able to at the new batsman and put up the pressure,’’ he said.

The main blame of this slump goes to their new ball bowlers, with their skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza, who has given away 279 runs in 44 overs in return for just one wicket, facing most of the brunt.

The other two pacers in the three-man pace attack, Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin, have relatively had a better run at the tournament with 10 wickets each in six and five matches respectively, but they have also conceded in excess of six-and-a-half runs per over.

Rubel Hossain got into the team in place of an injured Saifuddin against Australia, but remained wicket-less in his nine overs which cost 83 runs.

In the same match the gentle part-time seam bowling from Soumya Sarkar surprised all with a 3-58, but expecting him to do something similar consistently will be quite a far stretched thought.

‘’We don’t have too much pace, we also don’t have much skills in our bowling. But for their point, they are trying all they can do,’’ said Shakib knowing that time is running out for them because a further slip in the tournament can just be enough not to have a place in the semi-final.  

‘’These [combined] contributions [from bowlers] are very necessary to win a match. May be someone will contribute more but these small contributions also help a lot,’’ added Shakib.

The spin attack, consisting Sakib al Hasan, Mehedi Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain, have kept their economy rate below six-run per over and have collectively taken 18 wickets.

 

Sakib, who has been instrumental in Bangladesh still being in the hunt for a semi-final spot, has been the best bowler in the side and after his 5-29 against Afghanistan on Monday, which is the best bowling figures so far in the World Cup, stood equal with Mustafiz and Saifuddin as Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

But this over-dependence on Sakib can be easily exploited and Australia did exactly that when they attacked the spinner, took him for 50 runs in just six overs and took their total out of Bangladesh’s reach.