Foregoing fine-tuning for a series win?
Bangladesh are playing their last series ahead of the T20 World Cup in UAE but while there was a need to calibrate their tactical setup in terms of the batting order and team combination there is also the need for understanding the capabilities of as many players as possible ahead of the announcement of the World Cup squad. Despite that scenario, the team management and selectors prioritised winning the series as they named an unchanged playing eleven for the fourth time in a row yesterday against the Kiwis.
New Zealand had kept the series alive with a thumping 52-run win in the third T20I to make it 2-1 and Bangladesh yet again went with the same line-up for the fourth T20I. It could be argued that having lost the third T20 against an ever-improving Kiwi side in these conditions, Bangladesh would make changes just to see how the other players perform and return to winning ways. However, management perhaps felt they had the right recipe to begin with for the Kiwi series.
Shoriful Islam featured pretty regularly in the Australia series and performed well enough to be considered for the T20 World Cup due to being able to take pressure on in tough situation. He took seven wickets in four T20Is against Australia -- second highest wicket taker for the Tigers in that series – at an economy rate of 6.37. However, after four matches in this New Zealand series, he is yet to get a game. Mohammad Saifuddin, who appeared in the final T20I against Australia -- his only game in that series -- grabbed his chance by picking up three and has so far played all four T20Is against New Zealand. Meanwhile, the other pacers in the squad continued to be overlooked and perhaps the desire to win series with a proven line-up on such surfaces.
Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed are yet to get a game either and ahead of the World Cup in UAE where pitches will offer more to pacers and Bangladesh may need an extra speedster in the line-up, the selectors did not feel the need to give them matches ahead of naming the World Cup squad, which will likely be announced very soon. What the selectors are looking for with a same eleven game after game, remains unclear. An extra pacer in the line-up is a very real possibility during World Cup matches but judging from team selection, this was not the series to judge them.
Nasum Ahmed has once again remained effective in this series. Yesterday, he produced a few brilliant deliveries in a career-best 4 wickets for 10 runs. However, not so long ago, he was also plundered for runs in New Zealand and Zimbabwe pitches. The World Cup pitches will offer much less than the pitches at home and since Nasum is playing as a specialist bowler, there is belief selectors will think differently in the World Cup. Giving Nasum chances is not bad, but when you don't test others such as Aminul Islam Biplob -- knowing a leggie's importance in the T20 format-- questions should be asked regarding what the selectors are really looking for in the last series ahead of naming the World Cup squad.