Pacers undercooked for World T20 challenge?

"We know what conditions are waiting in Oman and the UAE," Habibul Bashar, member of Bangladesh Cricket Board' (BCB) selection committee, had said earlier before indicating that the board might be contemplating including an extra seamer in their 15-member squad, to be announced, for the upcoming T20 World Cup in October-November.

However, the Tigers have played their previous eight T20Is -- five against the Aussies and three played against the Kiwis – on spin-friendly Mirpur surfaces, forcing them to employ a spin-heavy playing eleven with only two pacers featuring in the side in each of those games. 

And as far as the trend in ICC events goes, Bangladesh would have to play in true cricketing wickets in Oman and the UAE. Even Bashar's words were indicative of the reality which would see the Tigers shift to picking the ideal blend of bowlers -- three pacers, two spinners including a few all-rounders -- in the World Cup.

Bangladesh do have a rich pace department to choose from with the likes of Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin and Rubel Hossain included in the 19-member squad for the ongoing New Zealand T20Is.

But unfortunately, the amount of game-time has not been uniformly spread among the aforementioned lot as there was very little shuffling between the handful of pacers selected in the side in the past few games.

While Mustafizur played in all of the last eight T20Is for Bangladesh, the left-arm pacer has only had Shoriful for the first four T20Is against the Aussies and Saifuddin for the last Australia game and the first three T20Is against New Zealand this month as his partners.

The reason behind that was probably the tendency to keep the winning eleven unchanged but it also cannot be denied that playing on spin-friendly Mirpur wickets have only limited the options of including a third seamer in the side.   

And the lack of option for including the third seamer has seen someone like Shoriful, who is clearly considered as a frontline pacer as he is the youngest cricketer to have been included in the current central contract for all three formats, out of the starting eleven for the past four T20Is.

Taskin, another crucial cog in Tigers' pace department, hasn't played since the Zimbabwe tour in July. While it is true that the pacer has leaked runs in his past few appearances, game-time for him and bowling in a suitable condition could have lent him the opportunity to explore his mistakes before he is suddenly called into the squad in as big a platform as the World Cup next month.

Rubel has been out of the scene since his unproductive New Zealand tour back in April this year and could find himself out of ideas if called directly to perform in Oman and the UAE.  And even regulars like Mustafizur could need shuffling considering the pacers being more injury-prone and that the Tigers are set to play at least eight games in a space of just 22 days in the World Cup.

Hence, it is certain that the BCB would have their work cut out readying a resourceful pace department ahead of the big event.