Lots to work on as T20 season begins

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had announced a 27-member preliminary squad for the forthcoming T20 internationals last week and it includes a number of players who did well in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League.

What will be interesting to see is how the selection committee ends up trimming at least half of this squad by the time the ICC World Twenty 20 arrives because there are plenty of questions surrounding the Tigers' performances in the T20 format.

The one thing that has to be made clear right at the start, despite its obviousness, is that there is a huge difference between Bangladesh's ODI and T20I outfits. The numbers perhaps best explain the scenario.

Take for instance the scenario of the batsmen; of 27 players in the list, Anamul Haque is the only one to have a batting average above 30 in T20 cricket. However, his place in the playing eleven is not certain.

The averages of some of the more dependable batsmen paint a bleak picture. Shakib Al Hasan, for instance, averages 24 while Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal hover around 20 and 18 respectively.

In addition, the team's average runs per wicket in this format is just 18.50, which is the least among teams that have played at least 30 T20Is. Teams like Ireland, Netherlands, Afghanistan and even Scotland have fared better in this field.

And so, with a T20 series against Zimbabwe, one which could be converted into tri-nation tournament, and the Asia Cup due in the next two months, it will be interesting to see how the team management tries to deal with their batsmen.

Will they work on the young established ODI batsmen, the likes of Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das and Sabbir Rahman and try to bring the best out of them or will they give batsmen like Jahurul Islam and Imrul Kayes, who haven't been regulars in this format, a chance to prove themselves. Both Jahurul and Imrul impressed in the BPL, scoring half-centuries during vital moments of matches.

The fact that leg-spinner Jubair Hossain isn't in the squad makes the expected spin combination quite clear, with Arafat Sunny and Shakib. However, finalising the pace line-up will also require some work.

The selectors have included Abu Hider in the side and it will be interesting to see if the 19-year-old goes on to make the final cut.

There are chances that he will of course, with Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed failing to impress in the BPL and the fact that the duo are quite prone to injuries.

The scenario of course will become a lot clearer when the players join the camp in the second week of January, as that's when the team management will get a better picture.