Disappointing West Indies tour

When Shakib Al Hasan was banned for six months in July, I felt Bangladesh would badly miss a player of his calibre in the West Indies. However, judging from their performance, it seems unlikely that Shakib's presence would have made a difference barring the first ODI, where Bangladesh lacked a 5th bowler after getting the opposition down at 34 for 5. A player can rarely make a difference if he is surrounded by irresponsible team mates.

We all know what the problems are, and yet the BCB is more inclined on disciplining Shakib, instead of focusing on improving the domestic cricket structure and the team selection policy. One cannot expect all players to be adept at all formats. However, in Bangladesh, a few good knocks at any format guarantees a player a place in the team for a long time, while one failure for a newcomer might end his career altogether. It is high time that players like Nasir Hossain, whose approach has been very casual throughout the tour, was dropped and given time to settle in the domestic cricket, and players like Naeem Islam got a much deserved opportunity.

Tauhidul Islam
A level candidate
Uttara, Dhaka