‘It is a bit disappointing that we played without a pacer’

For the first time in their history, Bangladesh went into a Test match without a frontline pacer in the lineup when they played West Indies in the second Test at Dhaka. Bangladesh pacer Rubel Hossain said that as a pace bowler it was a bit disappointing to see it happen.

It is a hard thing to admit for a player, especially since his teammates gave Bangladesh a memorable Test series against the Windies, who had inflicted misery on Bangladesh in July this year. The spinners bagged all the 40 wickets over the two Test matches but for cricket lovers around the world and here too, watching a pacer run-in a bowl aggressively is the sight to behold in Test cricket. "Obviously it is a bit disappointing that we played without a pace bowler in a Test. Our conditions at home are like that and we were successful with our spinners. The team planning was like that," Rubel said, admitting that the conditions dictated team selection.

Windies pacers reigned supreme at home and Bangladesh pacers such as Rubel would have liked to have replied to the Windies in kind in their home. That opportunity did not arrive in the Tests but Rubel said that in the ODIs – a format where Bangladesh generally play more pacers than spinners – the faster bowlers can win the series.

"Obviously, pacers have the capability to win ODIs and the pacers don't only possess the ability but won matches too. You only have to look at the series away to West Indies," said a confident Rubel, who has been doing well in the shorter format.

He said the wickets won't be as conducive to spin and in the shorter format, whatever the condition, pacers will do well.

"Maybe the [ODI] wickets won't be spin-friendly so obviously the pacers can do it in these conditions," he said.