Call-ups catch Imrul, Soumya off-guard

Soumya Sarkar said that he had a lot to learn from Shakib Al Hasan and that it was big factor for the Bangladesh players to share a dressing room with the world's number one ODI all-rounder.

Asked whether the team congratulated Shakib after his performance against Afghanistan, Soumya said: "We congratulated him in the meeting after the match. To share the dressing room with him is a big factor for us. He has so many records and we have a lot to learn from him."

He was of the opinion that Shakib's legend status can only be discussed after he finishes playing but focused on the impact Shakib is having on him.

"When he finishes playing, he will become a legend. Especially for me, I have a lot to learn from him and the more I see him, the more I am amazed. He is continuously performing and notching record after record," Soumya opined.

Soumya said that the India match on July 2 provides them with a 'chance' to go on and play the last match against Pakistan with belief. "We will try to give our best to win the match. Whether we go through to the semis is a different aspect but if we win the match [against India], the chance it will create for us will get us ready for the next match [Pakistan]," he said.

Before the match against Afghanistan, Soumya had always come on as an opener at this World Cup. Liton Das opened the innings against Afghanistan and Soumya said that he was ready to play in any position where it benefitted the team.

"I have always said that I will play where the team requires me to. If I score a run and that contributes to the team then it makes me happy."

Misfiring Bangladesh opener Soumya Sarkar yesterday said that he could only respond to the growing criticism by scoring heavily. 

“I'm doing well in one game and then doing not so well in the next. I may have played badly in Champions Trophy, but I played well in the preceding series. A lot of people are saying a lot of things. But I'm not paying attention to everyone. I'm realizing that I will have to solve my own problem,” Soumya told reporters during the Tigers' fitness training session in Mirpur. 

The young left-hander came under scrutiny after his no show in the Champions Trophy, where his combined four innings score, including the semifinal against India, was 34. He got out against Australia and New Zealand for 3 and scored a duck against India, in these three innings his footwork, or lack of, was exposed. The young batsman, who relies on hand-eye coordination, however said that those dismissals were of different kinds. 

“If it was the case that I was getting out in the same way, which was not, it would have been easier to solve. I will have to solve it and I know that I can only do it by scoring runs. And this is the biggest challenge for me,” said Soumya.

“In the Champions Trophy I stayed at the wicket for awhile against England. In the other games I got out quickly. When I score runs my batting looks good but when I can't score it looks ugly and unfortunately this is way I play,” the left-hander continued.

He said that the on-going fitness camp could be the first step for a turnaround.

“Fitness camps are always important for a cricketer. It is also very important if you are playing uninterrupted cricket for a long time. This is a place where you can make yourself fit and I'm trying to do that, working on my weaknesses,” he continued, adding that he looks forward to the Australia challenge. “The Champions Trophy was a one-day tournament. Against Australia we will play Tests. These are two different formats and at the moment I'm solely focused on fitness. If I get an opportunity I will try to do well against Australia.”

Australia are scheduled to play two Tests in Bangladesh, starting next month.

“I'm playing lower down the order in Test and the team management thinks I can better serve in that position. I have no problem to play at any position,” said Soumya when asked if he was comfortable batting lower down the order in Test.

Soumya also expressed his belief the Tigers will do well against Australia this time.

“We normally play a few Test matches and against Australia we play fewer. We are playing well in Tests of late. We had an outstanding series against England at home. The Australia series is a big opportunity for us. We are really excited to play against them. I hope that we will play good cricket against them. If I get a chance it will be my first Test game against Australia and I want to make it a memorable one,” said a confident Soumya.

He said that he was focused on his bowling.

“I always bowl in the nets. We had two seamers in a match before but now we play three pace bowlers. So there is very limited option for a fourth seamer to bowl in a match. Besides, we have always got a very strong spin attack. But I'm continuing to bowl in the nets and hope I can also do well as a bowler in the future,” he said, adding that it is very difficult to do both things together as it requires a different fitness level for an all-rounder.

Lastly, he spoke highly of his vastly experienced opening partner Tamim Iqbal.

“There are a lot of things one can learn from Tamim Bhai. When he is on strike I follow him, keenly. He is now playing differently. He is more matured. He can read the team situation very well and act accordingly,” Soumya observed.

On Thursday, when it suddenly began to rain in Chattogram during the Bangladesh team's optional training session, all the players ran for cover, except one.

Soumya Sarkar, who got out for three against Sri Lanka in the first ODI, didn't want to leave the nets and continued training with a look of determination etched in his face.

The one bad innings against Sri Lanka had seemingly made everyone on social media forget about his previous ODI knock, a marvelous 169 against New Zealand, and the trolls once again began saying that he is in the national team only because of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha's preference.

This has been the perception surrounding Soumya for most of his career. If asked which Bangladeshi player has gotten the most number of chances over the years, the popular answer on social media would almost certainly be Soumya Sarkar.

But is there any truth to this perception?

The reality is that Soumya has played only 68 of the 158 ODIs Bangladesh have played since his debut in 2014, and only 10 since 2019.

When he came out to bat in the second ODI on Friday, Soumya knew his position in the team was on the line. Still, the left-hander hit an eye-catching 64-ball 68, which took his ODI run tally over 2000 in 64 innings, making him the quickest among all Bangladeshi batters to reach the milestone.

He broke the record of Liton Das and Shahriar Nafees, who had completed 2000 runs in 65 innings.

Soumya, a batter who is known for his inconsistency, becoming the fastest to reach 2000 ODI runs in the country highlights the subpar standard of Bangladesh cricket and the fact that 81 cricketers in the world have done it in fewer matches just makes it even more apparent.

Soumya has been inconsistent for the majority of his career. He got a flying start in international cricket, averaging 49 after his first 16 ODIs at a strike rate of 102. But after not getting runs in a series against Afghanistan, Soumya lost his place in the side.

Since then he has been in and out of the team and has also been tried out in different positions in the batting order.

The management and the selectors have been inconsistent about what they want from Soumya, making him bat lower down the order in 34 percent of his innings, highest among Bangladeshi openers.

He has batted at the middle-order and even as a pace bowling all-rounder who would bat as a finisher, to no success.

In the 42 innings where he has batted as an opener, he averages 36.92 at a strike rate of 100.07.

His career ODI strike rate of 97.48 is also head and shoulders above Bangladeshi batters who have played at least 50 ODIs, the next best being Liton Das with 86.68 and the others being below 80.

In a way, the century against New Zealand was Soumya's rebirth in international cricket and the half-century against Sri Lanka would probably earn him a few more chances.

But if Soumya wants to change the perception about him on social media, the only thing he needs to do is perform consistently. And for that, the management needs to be consistent about what they want from the player.

The best news for Bangladesh from the three ODIs against Zimbabwe came in the last match yesterday in the form of an explosive return to the side and to form for Soumya Sarkar. Coming to the crease after Liton Das got out in the first ball of the innings, Soumya made like it was 2015. Soumya hit a 92-ball 117 against a shell-shocked Zimbabwe. During a Bangladesh-record 220-run first-wicket partnership with Imrul Kayes, Soumya brought up his second ODI ton off just 81 deliveries and hit nine boundaries and six sixes in the process. The sixes especially were worth watching, with the elegant left-hander almost hitting them at will.