Important players including Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Tamim Iqbal, Taskin Ahmed, and bowler Ebadot Hossain will not be available for Bangladesh in the forthcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand, which is set to take place in Sylhet tomorrow.
Three new players have joined the team: Hasan Mahmud, a pacer; Hasan Murad, a spinner; and Shahadat Hossain Dipu, a batter. Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, and Shadman Islam will have to step up to take Tamim Iqbal’s large shoes.
Taskin and Ebadot’s absence means that players like Hasan, Khaled Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam will need to lead the series’ pace attack.
Entering the Test format was a challenge in and of itself, especially after a World Cup in which the squad did not perform up to par. The work should be significantly more challenging because several of the standard Test faces are missing.
“As you know, it’s almost like a new-look Bangladesh team for various reasons, not by design,” Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha remarked at the press conference in Sylhet yesterday. “Most of the other players have been playing NCL.”
Hathurusingha’s second spell in Bangladesh was supposed to be his managing the veteran players’ retirement years. Hathurusingha believes that now that the World Cup goal has been achieved, it is time to prepare the next group of players who will succeed players like Tamim and Shakib.
“Losing that much experience from a team is difficult, especially for Bangladesh because those players have been with the squad for over 15 years—some of them for as long as 10 years—in every format. Therefore, it’s all on one side for everyone, and we’re excited to see what the kids can accomplish. I believe it’s time for us to let go of some of the long-serving guys. They won’t be there indefinitely. However, there are a lot of reasons why this is occurring, therefore I find it exciting and believe it’s a chance for some of the younger generation to establish themselves and have successful careers,” the Sri Lankan remarked.
In Shakib’s absence, Najmul Hossain Shanto has been named the captain. Hathurusingha stated that there was opportunity rather than pressure for the new skipper.
“No, there’s no [pressure]. This is the chance for the new captain to establish his own leadership team and style of leadership. He will therefore be unique. It’s a chance for him and the other players to adjust to his style of leadership. The head coach expressed excitement about the upcoming changes, implying that a long-term strategy for Test captaincy may be under consideration.
The head coach stated that although the conditions and wicket are still “unknown,” spinners will play a significant role.
At Mount Maunganui last year, Bangladesh defeated the Kiwis in what may have been their greatest match. In that series, Tamim and Shakib were also absent, but Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque, two additional seniors, were present and will be this time as well. However, the decision by Bangladesh’s veterans to forgo one format or another caused a stir in the past, and if a new era is to start, it will resemble the unknowable circumstances the team would encounter in Sylhet.