Lack of effective solutions laid bare again

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, starting on October 2, with Soumya Sarkar replacing the injured captain Litton Das for the series. However, the persistent problem of a fragile middle order, as exposed in the Super Four match against Pakistan during the Asia Cup, remains a cause for concern in the lead-up to next year's T20 World Cup.

Veterans such as Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad have traditionally filled middle-order roles and their experience often proved decisive in crucial moments. With an expected reshuffle after the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, the team is in search of stability in the middle order, yet the solutions management hopes to find remain elusive.

Soumya, who has predominantly played as an opener or top-order batsman throughout his career, will now join Tanzid Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon and Saif Hassan in competing for top-order positions. Soumya's style of play tends to be more effective during the Powerplay overs rather than later stages of an innings, meaning his inclusion is unlikely to resolve the ongoing crisis in the middle order.

Consequently, the responsibility falls once again on the same players who struggled during the Asia Cup. Jaker Ali Anik, appointed captain in Litton's absence, will lead the side for the Afghanistan series. Jaker's form issues in the middle- and lower-middle order were evident, while Tawhid Hridoy has been inconsistent throughout the recently concluded series.

Mahedi Hasan's perplexing role at number four continues to raise eyebrows. He has yet to demonstrate the temperament to counter high-quality pace bowling or the footwork necessary to score runs in the middle overs against spin.

Rishad Hossain, who possesses the ability to play big shots, has not been utilised effectively in crucial phases of the innings as a pinch-hitter. Confined to the lower order, he has been unable to provide the kind of impetus needed to shape innings, such as in the modest chase against Pakistan.

"We do have a surplus in the middle order with players like [Nurul Hasan] Sohan, Jaker, Shamim [Hossain] and [Tawhid] Hridoy, while the top order now has four options with Soumya's inclusion. Since Litton is unavailable, you can pick three from that group," BCB chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu explained regarding the middle-order profiles.

Shamim's skill set makes him a good candidate for the lower-middle order, but he has yet to establish himself as an effective middle-order batsman. Players like Afif Hossain and Yasir Ali have also been tried in middle-order roles, but their international performances have lacked consistency. Lipu believes that the players selected for the Afghanistan series must adapt to the demands of modern cricket and embrace versatility.

"Maybe Shamim is not a traditional middle-order batsman, but he is capable of batting at number six. Players need to get accustomed to multiple positions, as seen with Tilak Varma or Abhishek Sharma. For the Asia Cup, we had replacements for most positions, but we currently lack anyone who can guarantee that if selected, they will immediately adapt and score runs," Lipu added.