Can Mirpur track help pacers turn the tables?

Afghanistan named a 15-man squad for the one-off Test against Bangladesh, starting from June 14, and the biggest takeaway was the absence of key spin threat Rashid Khan, who was reportedly being rested.

The Afghan spin wizard had taken 11 wickets in two innings as Afghanistan dismantled Bangladesh's batting line-up in the only Test between the sides in Chattogram in 2019, thumping the hosts by 224 runs.

This time around, the Tigers' squad was shaped by picking five pacers, suggesting that Afghanistan's spin threat may be countered by pace-friendly wickets. But how much has Mirpur's Sher-e-Bangla favoured pace over the years?

A look at the last 10 Tests in Mirpur, starting with a 20-run win against Australia, shows that stats heavily support the theory of spin-friendly Mirpur tracks. Spinners have taken 223 wickets compared to the 96 scalped by pacers. Approximately 70 per cent wickets in Mirpur have been claimed by spinners, which signals the dominance spin has held at Mirpur.

The last time Bangladesh played Afghanistan in a Test, the Tigers fielded four front-line spinners in Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan. The selection choice with no front-line pacers in the playing eleven created a furore. This time Bangladesh picked two spinners in Mehedi and Taijul, with Shakib out injured for the series.

Bangladesh are likely to pick a pace-heavy attack given that only two specialist spinners are available. But what if the wicket behaves similarly to how it did during the last Test at Mirpur against Ireland in April this year?

In that instance, Bangladesh picked three spinners along with three pacers but the pacers did not get enough help, with Ebadot Hossain's three for 37 the only example of pace leaving an impact. Will it create more controversy if pacers do not get what is being sought and results go against Bangladesh?

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) arranged a workshop on Turf and Outfield Management at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, which ended yesterday. Ian Joseph, head of Turf Management of New Zealand Cricket was conducting the workshop and believed it was possible to create pace-friendly wickets here.

He felt it was a myth that pace-friendly wickets were not possible to achieve in the nation. "I think that's a bit of a myth. It's up to the skills of the curator to carefully manage the pitch and its preparation and to deliver a quality surface. There have been a number of games that had been played in Bangladesh where the pitches have played very well. I am confident that the pitches will only improve further with the curator training programme and by sharing our knowledge," Ian told reporters.

However, the stats still showed where pace and spin stand in terms of dominating proceedings. Afghanistan picked three uncapped players in Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Nijat Masoud and young leggie Izharulhaq Naweed. Rashid was rested because of too much non-stop cricket, Cricbuzz reported.

Bangladesh's squad has already been shaped by a certain understanding that pace will hold value in the upcoming Test but if the surface is a true one at Mirpur, it is the batters who have to respond.