‘I hope people would get off his back’

Bangladesh batsman Soumya Sarkar has been in fantastic touch especially since his hundred and double hundred in the Dhaka Premier League [DPL] this season for Abahani Limited. He was able to carry that form to the international stage, hitting three consecutive 50s during the recently-concluded tri-nation series in Ireland. Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes said that the team firmly backs the opener even though many still criticise the left-hander.

"He has been a revelation since he hit that hundred and double-hundred in the DPL, but he also gets some rough days from people," Rhodes was quoted as saying by ICC website.

Soumya had a rough patch in 2017 and was dropped from the ODI squad after Bangladesh's tour of South Africa that year. Rhodes knows about the criticism that the left-hander had to tackle and the batsman has come back strongly, working on his past weaknesses and on his way to establishing himself as a key figure at the top of the order.

"It's just nice to see him carrying on that form, and I hope people would get off his back a little bit because he is a wonderful player. We support him and back him. But not everyone always does that," Rhodes said.

The head coach also commented on Bangladesh's depth outside of the big five of Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad.

"There have been two or three guys who have played special innings," he said. "If you think of Mosaddek, for example, he is a guy now who is going to keep everybody on their toes. That's the depth of the squad and he might not play, and if he doesn't, then what a great position we have. It gives us the confidence that we can win some big games as well.

"That means Bangladesh are stronger within the squad, and that's what we want as we want more depth, and if we get that depth, then people will stop talking about the big five."