The best ever Bangladesh cricket squad, the most experienced contemporary international cricketers are expected to give Bangladesh team the clear edge over the rest of the contestant.
Top quality fabulous five – Mashrafee , Shakib, Tamim ,Mushfique and Mahmudullah together have more experience than even players of England, Australia , India and South Africa. Most of them came together in historic 2007 World Cup when they surprised world cricket knocking out one of the favourites India and beat strong South Africa.
2011 was a bit inconsistent. But in 2015, Bangladesh surprised many qualifying for quarter finals playing quality cricket and sending even England back home early. 2015 witnessed the baptism of two talented young talents Soumya and Sabbir. Rubel was the match winner against England. Now in 2019, the nucleus of the team remaining intact addition of X-factor Mustafiz , talented youngsters Miraj , Mosaddeq and Saifuddin give the team required gun power to explode and take the bar still higher.
Well this world cup will be wide open. The announced squads of every team, at least 7 have potential to take away the trophy. Many tips host England and strong India as top favourites. But defending champions Australia, always brides maid South Africa, inconsistently consistent West Indies and Pakistan have surprise elements. Even rookie Afghanistan with some top quality players may cause few upsets.
In the back drop of above all Bangladesh needs is playing to their potentials, believing in themselves and go from step to step. Every team will have to play every other team at least once .For that matter winning seven out of nine would carry a team to business round .Even team winning six may also go if run difference is comparative higher among teams fining on equal points. So consistency will be the key.
English summer may be warm and not at all uncomfortable for team tigers. ICC prepared wickets may be sporting having enough runs for entertaining matches. Moreover, Bangladesh playing in tri nation ODI series in Ireland with host and West Indies would have time to acclimatise with almost similar conditions and wickets. Team think tank may do few experiments with the combinations as West Indies is not in full strength and Ireland may not test them.
Prolific Tamim has world of experience .Him in form and fitness would give Bangladesh assurance at the top. The recent blistering form of flamboyant Soumya Sarkar and consistent Liton have added boost for the squad for top order batting . If either Soumya or Liton can appear with their A gave Tamim can play long innings and rest of the batting can rotate around. Let Soumya and Liton play their aggressive natural game but not recklessly though. Hope batting coach would mentor .A good opening partnership would lay the foundation for a competitive score.
Bangladesh has plenty of choice at number three. In case of a good opening partnership Shakib should bat at number three for further consolidating the advantage. If left and right combination is desired it may be either Sabbir or Mithun. Four and five then should be experienced and highly talented Mushfique and Mahmudullah. I will like to play Liton at number six and Mosaddeq at seven. English wickets would not turn much . Hence Miraj may not play in all matches. But at late middle order Saifuddin would be ideal at eight .Mashrafee ,Rubel and Mustafiz would make the eleven . This team should score 300 plus in most matches as English wickets these days produce 300 plus regularly and also are chased.
Mashrafee is bowling consistently well as he always does. He with Mustafiz would give ideal opening burst. I am not sure whether a few overs at the top by Shakib would be ideal as he would take the balls away from right handers. Rubel and Saifuddin would bowl in the middle overs .Mustafiz and Rubel would bowl at the death. This would be rotated depending on match situation. Moasaddeq and Shabbir can bowl few overs if required. Bowling at the right spot and fielding smartly Bangladesh can defend even 300 against most teams under normal situation.
It is great that Bangladesh is not among the favourites. They can count winning against Afghanistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan South Africa and New Zealand. However they have to play out of their skins against England, Australia and India. But on their day team tigers can beat any team. It will require plotting effective game plan and executing the plans well. Sky is the limit for this brilliant bunch of Bangladesh cricketer.
THEY MUST REMEMBER THIS WILL BE LAST TIME GOLDEN GENERATION OF BANGLADESH CRICKETERS WILL BE IN WORLD FORUM. We ALL WANT THAT THEY SIGN OFF WITH BRILLIANT SUN SHINING ALL THE WAY
BDST: 1116 HRS, APRIL 24, 2019
AH
