It was anticipated that the one-day international series against New Zealand, which consisted of three matches, would provide the perfect platform for the fragile Bangladesh top-order to reevaluate its priorities and develop confidence in preparation for the World Cup.
Yesterday, in the second one-day international against New Zealand, the left-handed batsman looked brilliant while scoring 44 runs off 58 balls. The return of Tamim Iqbal to the top of the order will undoubtedly instill a great deal of confidence in the team management.
The form of stand-in captain Liton Das, on the other hand, is something that will give the team management a lot of reason for worry. One of the most important components of Bangladesh’s top-order, the wicketkeeper-batter is also a batsman who has the potential to make a difference in the premier competition.
However, the 28-year-old has been struggling through a dry spell as of late, and it was essential for him to get back into his flow as soon as possible. In the series played at home against New Zealand, which would have been a great platform for Liton to get among the runs, he did not capitalize on another chance to do so, though.
Liton was a prolific run-getter for the Tigers the previous year, driving in 338 runs in 17 innings at an average of 24.14, but runs have been hard to come by for him this season. The run drought for the right-hander continued yesterday at Mirpur, when he went out after scoring only six runs off of 16 deliveries before being run out.
In order to have a chance of winning their match, the Tigers needed to get off to a good start on the challenging Mirpur surface. Liton was uneasy from the very beginning of his at-bat, and he was unable to get into a rhythm. Eventually, he gave up a catch in the third-man zone while attempting to cut a wide delivery from the pacer Kyle Jamieson.
“I believe it is a matter for worry, not because he is unable to score runs, but more because I believe he is deficient in confidence. He does not have the self-assurance of a top-order hitter, which is essential for someone who has to play the moving deliveries. Even when he was playing the first ball today (yesterday), he seemed to be extremely sluggish, and it seems that he is questioning his own ability to play the game. During the course of Bangladesh’s innings, the renowned coach Nazmul Abedeen Fahim expressed his opinion to The Daily Star that “He looks lost and doesn’t know what to do and maybe he is trying different things in different ways.”
According to Fahim, the fact that Liton was given the additional duty of captaining the squad in the absence of the normal skipper Shakib Al Hasan may have contributed to the difficulty of the situation.
“This might be a factor (the pressure that comes with being captain). “You know, it makes you think differently when you play as a normal player compared to when you play as a captain, but that shouldn’t be the case,” he added. “You should be able to think the same way no matter what role you play.”
There is not much time left for Liton to get back into shape before Bangladesh’s World Cup campaign gets off. The tournament starts in little over two weeks. It is essential for the wicketkeeper who also bats to spend some time in the middle so that they may rebuild their confidence, according to Fahim.
There is no other route. It is important for him to have the sensation that he can successfully play the central position of the ball. It boils down to having faith in oneself, and I believe that reservoir has been depleted. No matter where he plays on the field, the seasoned coach said that it is essential for the player to both score runs and spend time in the center.