Finding the right balance key for Tigers
Bangladesh are set to begin their Asia Cup campaign against Associate Nation Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi today. The Litton Das-led side enter the continental tournament on the back of a decent run of form, but even during Tuesday's practice session, some familiar issues resurfaced.
There were encouraging signs as well -- especially from the top order, which appeared in rhythm.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Litton, who struck two fifties in a recent three-match series against the Netherlands at home, looked in fine touch again. He had specifically requested to face a left-arm pacer during nets, and among the bowlers provided by the UAE Cricket Board, one happened to be from Cumilla, Bangladesh. That bowler, Yunus Ali, who is trying to settle in the Emirates, was given a harsh reality check. "I landed the ball in good areas, yet he kept hitting me," Yunus admitted afterward. Litton did not spare his teammates either, peppering the nets with aggressive strokes.
Before Litton, openers Tanzid Tamim and Parvez Hossain Emon had kept journalists and staff alert, as balls repeatedly sailed beyond the small practice ground's fences, prompting loud warnings of "watch, watch."
But once the top order stepped aside, the nets fell flat -- almost mirroring Bangladesh's recent batting trend of starting brightly but losing momentum in the middle overs.
Towhid Hridoy, once seen as one of Bangladesh's most promising T20 batters, looked stiff, out of rhythm, and struggling with his timing -- making his place in the XI uncertain. By contrast, Saif Hassan has made a stronger case. Capable of batting in both top and middle order while also offering useful off-spin, his versatility could help balance the side. As India skipper Suryakumar Yadav recently noted: "In T20 cricket, a top-order batter who can bowl is a blessing for any team's balance."
The Zayed Cricket Stadium surface generally offers good bounce. While batters tend to score freely here, pacers usually benefit most, with Oman's Bilal Khan -- also a seamer -- being the leading wicket-taker at the venue in T20Is. Since all of Bangladesh's group-stage matches will be played at this ground, the role of pacers is expected to be pivotal.
Bangladesh are likely to field three pacers, with Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed almost certain selections. The third seamer's slot remains open, with Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Shoriful Islam all competing. Sakib and Saifuddin bowled extended spells early in training, while assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin later recalled Shoriful for an additional session under lights yesterday.
Strength and conditioning coach Nathan Kiely, alongside chief physician Dr. Debashis Chowdhury, monitored the workload closely to guard against injuries in the intense Emirati heat and humidity.
As for their first opponents, Hong Kong, Bangladesh will draw confidence from a few factors. While Hong Kong famously upset the Tigers in Chattogram during the 2014 T20 World Cup, none of those players remain in their current squad. Moreover, they began this Asia Cup with a crushing 94-run defeat to Afghanistan and had to travel far from their base camp to reach Abu Dhabi for today's match.
Bangladesh trained during that Afghanistan-Hong Kong encounter, but still kept an eye on proceedings. The gulf in quality was evident, and the Tigers would have noted it as well.
Though Hong Kong have promised to bring "quality cricket" against Bangladesh, Litton's side will look not only to secure the expected result against a lower-ranked opponent but also to address their middle-order concerns and strike the right balance ahead of tougher contests against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
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