Opening slot a concern for the Tigers before final

With the return of Imrul Kayes to the Tigers' squad ahead of the crucial final against Sri Lanka, questions are being asked about Anamul Haque's fate.

Anamul was brought into the side following his rich vein of form in the domestic circuit where he scored 1077 first class runs at an average of 63.05 with two double hundreds to his name.

Captain Mashrafe suggested that Mithun Ali has also returned to the side along with Imrul, perhaps insinuating that the opening slot has competition.

"Just because Imrul has returned, doesn't mean he will play. We haven't discussed these issues yet. Maybe we are still thinking about who will do well alongside Tamim at the opening slot.  

"Bijoy [Anamul] played in four matches but it's true that he is somewhat unhappy because of his own expectations off himself. He wanted to contribute a lot more but that doesn't mean we are excluding him."

"Imrul has returned but so has Mithun. Let's see, we haven't decided yet," Mashrafe concluded on the matter.

Following his comeback, Anamul contributed is his second game, when he was involved in a 71-run opening stand with Tamim Iqbal during Tigers' second game against Sri Lanka. However, scores of 1 and 0 in the next two matches have brought Anamul's fate back into the limelight.

Tamim Iqbal has been Bangladesh's go to batsman – one that they can build an innings around. With Shakib Al Hasan coming in at number three, Bangladesh looked comfortable in their first three matches before the Sri Lanka debacle.

When Tigers picked the squad for the tri-nation series, chief selector Minhajul Abedin had informed that Anamul was mainly picked for his batting talents as Mushfiqur Rahim is the first-choice wicketkeeper.

The middle order has collapsed in the last two matches and Bangladesh now look at Tamim to build their innings around. With Tamim being the mainstay of the batting lineup, Tigers now need an opening partner who can complement the left-hander.

Mithun Ali might also be in contention, keeping in mind the right and left hand batting combination. Mithun was the fifth-highest run-getter in BPL last season, scoring 325 runs in 15 games, playing a crucial role in Rangpur Riders' triumph.