Tigers’ struggles to form a playing eleven
Eight members of the Bangladesh ODI side have already left for New Zealand but ahead of the practice match in New Zealand on February 10 the team are struggling to make the numbers and form a playing eleven.
The New Zealand series will be crucial to prepare for the upcoming World Cup but the preparation for the away ODIs have not gone well for the national team so far.
The likes of Musfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad left yesterday afternoon along with six others. Out of the 15-member squad, four players will be playing the final of the Bangladesh Premier League on February 8, while captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza will also be travelling on the same date as Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Rubel Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin. That would leave Bangladesh short on numbers for the practice match.
"The situation is not ideal for us since the series is also not at home," Mashrafe said yesterday about the logistical issue which Tigers were struggling to deal with. "We will reach there on the 10th and will try to adjust as much is possible," he added. With players not being able to make it to New Zealand, there was confusion and BCB has decided to send four more players to New Zealand tomorrow in order to make a playing eleven for the practice match.
Chief selector Minhazul Abedin informed that two players from the Test squad in Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque are to leave tomorrow morning at 8:00am along with Shafiul Islam and Mohammad Mithun, who are both in the ODI squad.
With the likes of Tamim, Mashrafe and Shakib missing out on the practice game, Bangladesh are struggling to make ends meet and a quick decision had to be taken and sending in the two from the Test side early will perhaps be the best course of action at the moment.
Comments