The five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe begins today.
Ahead of the World Cup, Bangladesh will seek answers to some questions to fix their squad.
Nazm Hussain made the message clear. The Bangladesh captain does not want to call the five-T20 series against Zimbabwe that begins today a Test series.
They literally want to play to win the series. But before the T20 World Cup, victory alone will not be enough for Bangladesh in this series. With the win, some vacancies in the T20 team should also be filled. So, apart from these five matches against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh will have three more matches in the USA before the World Cup.
These matches can be called the World Cup ‘audition’ for some of the cricketers in the team.
Who will be the alternate opener?
Both are left-handers, and both are members of Under-19 World Cup-winning teams. Both made their international debuts. One of them is Parvez Hussain. Who has played just one match for the national team, a T20 against Zimbabwe in 2022.
The other is Tanjid Hassan. Although he has not made his T20 debut, he has already played 15 ODI matches.
But both openers are in great shape. Parvez is the highest scorer in the Dhaka Premier League. This Chattogram opener has scored 623 runs with 3 centuries and two fifties in 13 matches at a strike rate of 89.
Tanjid is the fourth highest run-scorer in the I-League this year, having scored 384 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 125. There was a century and a half.
The Zimbabwe series is a test
For both to make their T20 World Cup squad. The team management will also want to see them with Liton Das. Meanwhile, Soumya Sarkar, the team’s first choice as Leyton’s opening partner, is trying to recover from injury with the team in Chittagong.
Yesterday he was batting as well as on the field. If all goes well, Soumya could be seen in the final two matches of the Zimbabwe series.
What is the fate of Afif?
He is on the team for one series and not the next. Afif is in a state of uncertainty after Chandika Hathurusinghe became head coach. With Shakib Al Hasan, the Sri Lankan coach is unable to find a place for a left-handed batsman in the middle order.
Afif last played in the New Zealand tour last December. It is not in the new central contract. The Sri Lanka series team was drawn without Afif.
He returned to the national team
Again in the Zimbabwe series. Shakib will not play the first three matches of the series. Afif can be seen in that place in the middle order.
==>>Schools and colleges across the country are closed on Thursday.
However, if Shakib returns, it is doubtful that Afif will have a place in the top 15 for the World Cup. Therefore, the first three matches of the series are crucial for Afif.
