Bangladesh selector Hannan Sarkar said that there are concerns about Shakib Al Hasan‘s form with the bat, but backed the veteran Shakib Al Hasan to find his feet at the earliest. The Bangladesh squad for the Test series is not yet announced, however, it is unlikely there will be many changes from the squad that thrashed Pakistan. Bangladesh pacers did well in Pakistan, however, they might change their strategy against India and go in with three spinners at least in the playing XI.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan are certain to feature while Taijul Islam should also find a place. Shoriful Islam missed the second Test against Pakistan due to an injury and he should return to the XI to partner Taskin Ahmed. The batting should stay the same that played against Pakistan, with Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan as openers. Najmul Hossain Shanto will bat at three while Mominul Haque will play at four. Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan should comprise a strong middle order.
Shakib Al Hasan bad form with the bat continues in Pakistan series
Bangladesh was outstanding against Pakistan but can they replicate the performance against India. That’s a big question as India would be a far tougher opposition than Pakistan, but the Tigers would be optimistic about pulling off an upset. Bangladesh have a miserable record against India, having lost 11 out of the 13 Tests, with two games ending as draws so they do have a task on hand.
Shakib Al Hasan has been stupendous with the ball and has been amongst the wickets. But it’s his batting form that has kept Bangladesh on their toes before their all-important Test series against India. The 37-year-old has struggled for runs of late, scoring only 38 runs from two games on the tour of Pakistan at an average of 19 and a top score of 21 not out.
The Magura-born Shakib also faltered with the bat for Surrey in their County Championship match against Somerset at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton. He scored 12 runs in the first innings before getting out Caught and Bowled to Jack Leach. Bangladesh selector Hannan Sarkar said that Shakib’s form with the bat is concerning. But he also said that it’s only a matter of time before the veteran returns to his very best in the longer format.
Bangladesh fret over Shakib Al Hasan’s batting form before 2 match India Test series
Bangladesh selector Hannan Sarkar has expressed concern about Shakib Al Hasan’s form with the bat in the build-up to the high-profile Test series in India. However, Sarkar reckons that given the veteran’s stature in international cricket, it is only a matter of time before he gets back among the runs.
Shakib Al Hasan, the second-most experienced player in Bangladesh’s Test squad for the India tour, struggled with the bat during the Pakistan tour, making scores of 15, 2, and 21*. The left-handed batter’s last half century in Test cricket came in April 2023 against Ireland in Mirpur.
During a press conference on Thursday, Hannan Sarkar stated that Test cricket allows batters time to regain their form and momentum, unlike limited-overs formats. He said:
“Shakib is not in rhythm. Form is very important, and he isn’t in form. But in Test cricket, you get time to return to form. In T20Is and ODIs, you don’t get enough time as batters need to get on with it quickly. I believe that given the stature of Shakib as a player, it’s only a matter of time before he gets back to form.”
The former Bangladesh captain played a solitary game for Surrey in the County Championship and took a staggering nine wickets against Somerset. However, he managed only 12 runs, including a duck in the fourth innings as Somerset won by 111 runs.
“We had taken five pacers to Pakistan, but this time, we’ve reduced the number of pacers” – Bangladesh selector
Sarkar addressed Shoriful Islam’s exclusion, claiming that his groin injury rendered him unavailable for the tour. He added that wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali has been selected, keeping in mind the conditions in India.
“Shoriful can’t be considered fully fit at the moment. He was unfit during the second Test in Pakistan, which is why he wasn’t part of the selection process. However, he has been kept under follow-up, and the physios and trainers are monitoring him. Regarding Jaker Ali Anik, we considered both the conditions and the opposition. We had taken five pacers to Pakistan, but this time, we’ve reduced the number of pacers by one and added a middle-order specialist batter.”
The opening Test between Bangladesh and India will be contested in Chennai from September 19.