Headache arises due to lack of depth in spin department

If history is anything to go by, the surface at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium is going to be conducive to spin unlike the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, the venue of the first Test, which ended in an expected draw.

A longstanding fear regarding the Bangladesh national cricket team turned into reality as the Tigers found themselves in deep water due to a lack of depth in their existing pool of players.

As Bangladesh prepare for their second Test against Sri Lanka, starting from May 23 in Mirpur, the major concern for the Tigers remain their bowling department -- more specifically, the spin department.

Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan, who was called into the squad for the Sri Lanka series as a replacement for injured Mehedi Hasan Miraz, another off-spinning all-rounder, was ruled out of the second Test after fracturing his finger on the fourth day of the first Test.

The news of Nayeem's injury came as a huge a blow to the team management, who do not have another back-up off-spinner to fall back on.

The latest squad announced for the High-Performance unit, which serves to prepare players for the national team, has only four spinners, none of whom are off-spinners.

The pertinent question now is how the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which has time and again gloated about its 'rich pipeline', was unable to avert such a predicament despite all the warning signs over the years.

A meeting including national Test skipper Mominul Haque, national selectors and members of the team management was held at the BCB premises yesterday. Among other issues, the team combination for the Dhaka Test was discussed.

As things stand, despite Bangladesh also missing two of their frontline pacers in Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed due to injuries, the spin attack was the major concern.

If history is anything to go by, the surface at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium is going to be conducive to spin unlike the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, the venue of the first Test, which ended in an expected draw.

Even in Chattogram, Bangladesh depended heavily on spinners to bowl the bulk of the overs. And even on a docile pitch, the likes of Nayeem, Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan accounted for 15 of the 16 wickets that the Tigers were able to scalp.

When it comes to dependency on spinners, the second and the series-deciding Test in Dhaka will definitely see more of it from both sides. Sri Lanka have already made clear their intention to play three frontline spinners.

Even if Bangladesh had frontline pacers Taskin and Shoriful available, their involvement would have been minimal considering the trend of Mirpur surface that suggests more wear and tear with each passing day.

It is clear that the team that wins the toss and has a more productive spin attack will have a significant edge in the Dhaka Test. Will Bangladesh play batting all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain to make up for their dearth in the spin department? If they do, how much variation and support will the part-timer be able to bring in for the side? The BCB has a lot to ponder over the next few days.