When will juniors step up?

The day before the third and final ODI against Bangladesh at East London, South Africa batsman JP Duminy hit upon a key difference between the sides when asked about Bangladesh missing key players like batsman Tamim Iqbal and bowler Mustafizur Rahman.

"I think it's a big loss, they are obviously key players and you know it's not always easy losing key players," said Duminy after South Africa's practice session at Buffalo Park in East London yesterday. "I think it's a benefit for us.  But then again, if we had lost key players in our team it would have been a great opportunity for different guys to come in and showcase their talent. That's the same kind of story for Bangladesh; they are a cricketing nation that produces a lot of experienced cricketers. We'd like to think that they are going to step in and produce their best performances, so we are going to have to be at our best tomorrow."

Although Duminy seemed to be speaking hypothetically, in reality South Africa have been without some key players but such has been the chasm in ability between the two teams that it has not been noticeable. From the team that played their last Champions Trophy match against Pakistan in June, key bowlers in all-rounder Chris Morris, fast bowler Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell are out injured for this current series. In their places, the likes of Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo have taken wickets and kept a lid on the runs. In the Tests, Duanne Olivier stepped up to make up for Morkel's absence in the second match. 

In the absence of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal in the Tests, Sabbir Rahman has averaged 6.5, Soumya Sarkar scored 12 in two innings and only Litton Das among the youngsters did something of note with 70 runs as a hail-Mary pass in the first innings of the first Test. In the ODIs, it has been as bleak; Sabbir has scored 36 in two innings, Nasir Hossain 14 and Litton 35. 

As far as the bowling is concerned, the less said the better because apart from Rubel Hossain's four wickets in a total of 353 in the second ODI and Shakib's two scalps, there really has not been much to talk about, with or without Mustafizur.

"If you think overall, the senior players have been at the top, and not just for Bangladesh but by world standards too. And they have performed here too," said ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza yesterday. "And it's not like the juniors have not stepped up before. Of course I agree with what he [Duminy] said; it is a great opportunity for them in conditions like this. But I still think that the team management and I are only looking for them to give a hundred per cent effort, the rest is up to whether luck favours them or not." 

Mashrafe is right in that the seniors have been carrying this team for quite a while. It was the same story in the Champions Trophy too when Tamim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim were the top run-scorers. Soumya – who has not been great managed to sneak into fourth place in the Ireland tri-series before that. Sabbir, by dint of a 66 managed the same in the Australia series before the tour, the last time that a young Bangladesh batsman has had an impact. Whether that is because of a lack of luck, effort or application is another matter.