Bangladesh are thinking of going with different pace bowling combinations during the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, skipper Tamim Iqbal hinted on Tuesday.
“Our pace bowling unit is doing well. So we might have different combinations during this series. It all depends on how we do tomorrow (today),” Tamim said during a pre-series press conference in Chattogram.
Taskin has been the leading Bangladesh pacer since July 4, 2021 as he took 26 wickets in 18 matches at an average of 26.96. Mustafizur and Ebadot followed him in the list by taking 22 and 21 wickets respectively in 20 and 11 matches.
Newcomer Shoriful has taken 20 wickets in 14 matches during this time frame while the new pace prodigy Hasan claimed 13 wickets in eight matches.
As the wicket of Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram is likely to help the pacers during the initial part of the game as it looked to have a quite bit of grass a day before the first game on Tuesday, Bangladesh might go with a three seam-bowling option in the series opener and rotate the pacers in the remaining matches.
“Wickets are different. There is a quite bit of grass. Normally Chittagong (Chattogram) wickets are quite good. The first 10 overs will be challenging for both teams. After that, it will settle down in the middle overs,” Tamim said, adding that they also need to focus on their opposition pace bowling attack as well as they also have five different pacers in their squad.
“Their fast bowlers did well in the last (ODI) series against us compared to their spinners. We cannot focus too much on their spin attack. They have quality fast bowlers as well. They are one of the most quality attacks in the world. We have to be at our very best to overcome them,” he said.
“Whoever among the fast bowlers have played in the last 18 months, have done extremely well. I won’t use the term “auto choice” but every captain has trust in certain individuals,” said Tamim.
“It is there in every team. Mustafizur was the guy who won us the last ODI. You won’t have the same line in the graph. People will go up and come down. If the player doesn’t think that the team is not believing in him, it is more difficult for him to come back.
“Because he has done well for so many years, we have to show him the belief that we have in him. It will make him come back to his best. Everyone in his room believes he is a very important part of the team,” he concluded.
