Will Naim’s ‘international experience’ be enough?
"We are hopeful he will have a good performance in Test cricket if he gets the chance. He has already gotten international exposure by playing ODI and T20I matches. As our openers failed to deliver, we considered Naim's international experience."
The inclusion of uncapped opener Naim Sheikh for the second Test against Pakistan has raised many eyebrows. Just after young opener Saif Hassan provided the selectors with ample evidence of how difficult it is to survive in international cricket, especially in the five-day game, with poor technique, why did they pick up Naim?
After all, Naim has hardly anything to show when it comes to longer-version cricket. The left-hander scored 183 runs in 11 first-class innings and played his last first-class game 19 months ago. His poor technique has also been exposed in recent T20I matches.
However, chief selector Minhajul Abedin was optimistic.
"We are hopeful he will have a good performance in Test cricket if he gets the chance. He has already gotten international exposure by playing ODI and T20I matches. As our openers failed to deliver, we considered Naim's international experience," opined Minhajul.
Saif has been ruled out of the second Test against Pakistan, starting from November 4 in Mirpur, as well as from the tour of New Zealand after being diagnosed with typhoid. But Minhajul was unsure if Saif's absence would give Naim a chance to open the innings.
"We included Naim not only for the second Test against Pakistan but also considering our upcoming tour of New Zealand. Some questioned the size of the squad but we had to think about the New Zealand trip. The same team will fly for New Zealand on November 9. We are still unsure if he will open the innings in the second Test. We may opt for a different pair," he said.
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