‘Team culture key’ in Tigers’ quest for stability

Bangladesh's white-ball cricket is at a crossroads. After a string of disappointing results -- including six consecutive losses in the 50-over format and recent T20I series defeats against the UAE and Pakistan -- the Tigers face mounting questions about their ability, team selection, and overall direction.

Amid this challenging phase, with a new ODI captain in Mehidy Hasan Miraz set to lead the side in the upcoming Sri Lanka series starting June 2, the pressure to rebuild and restore confidence is more immense than ever.

Nurul Hasan Sohan, currently sidelined from the national team and preparing to join the Rangpur Riders for the Global Super League in Guyana, emphasises the bigger picture.

"I won't have regrets if I don't get opportunities in the national team if the team plays well. I want Bangladesh cricket to recover from the current tough phase," Sohan said ahead of his departure.

Sohan had remained unpicked because there were too many wicket-keepers -- not an abysmal explanation in itself. But selectors also explained that they wanted Litton Das, the T20I skipper, to find form through ODIs, which is why Sohan was left out.

Since the last ODI World Cup, Bangladesh have played 23 ODIs, losing 17 -- a downturn reflected in the fact that they slipped to their lowest position, 10th, in nearly two decades.

The question remains whether Bangladesh have seen through plans to regain the impetus required for white-ball formats.

While there was no big controversy surrounding a big name being dropped, a few of the reasons provided by the national selection panel regarding why someone like Sohan or batting allrounder Mosaddek Hossain have remained unpicked left room for clarity.

The latter has a case as a domestic performer – considering the likes of Mohammad Naim or Anamul Haque Bijoy have made it to the ODI or Test formats.

Mosaddek, who was the player of the tournament in the last Dhaka Premier League, played in the 'A' side's series against their New Zealand counterparts. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf said something that sparked curiosity regarding Mosaddek's non-selection.

"As long as Mehidy Hasan Miraz is in the squad, Mosaddek simply doesn't have a place," he said, but also informed that Mosaddek was on their radar.

Dashing opener Soumya Sarkar missed the UAE series due to injury and was also left out of the Pakistan series for the same reason, despite training with the ODI team in Chattogram beforehand.

If performance played a role in Soumya's case, it was veiled as an intensity concern by the chief selector.

Cricketers outside the national setup can be required at any time and, if clarity is not found, the players face a degree of frustration. As Sohan puts it, "team culture is key," and it may well be the key to building up that morale in one of Bangladesh's hardest phases in white-ball cricket.