Bangladesh get Shakib fitness boost
CRUNCH MATCH The talismanic allrounder is likely to feature in final mustwin league game against Lanka
with 162 runs at an average of 162, helped Bangladesh get over the line in the 215run chase and against India, he threatened a repeat but could not help the side chase down 177.
Bangladesh’s interim head coach Courtney Walsh said in the pre-match press conference that the other batsmen must contribute. “It will be good if other batters step up and relieve the pressure that Rahim is facing. He has been playing well and we want him to maintain consistency,” Walsh added.
Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar have all given aggressive starts but none have capitalised. Shakib’s inclusion can buoy the top order and lay a platform for Rahim to finish the innings. With the ball, Shakib will be the designated leader of the attack, giving the spin bowlers in the team a boost.
The hosts’ inability to defend 215 and not seizing the moment when India had lost four wickets cheaply has been a major concern. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha admitted the team has not bowled well on pitches that have been very good.
The likes of Dushmantha Chameera and Akila Dananjaya have struggled but the young spinner bounced back with two wickets in the powerplay stages against India. In the batting, the Kusal duo of Mendis and Perera has been outstanding but they have had little support.
“Our batting is very good, it’s been easy to score runs off the new ball and the field restrictions, so we’re maximising that. If you look at our last five T20s our record is better than during our previous ten matches overall,” Hathurusingha said on the team’s batting.