Litton, Afif back for Pakistan series to stabilise middle order

Bangladesh have brought Litton Das and Afif Hossain back into the ODI fold for the upcoming series against Pakistan, starting on March 11, as middle-order failures saw Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain, and Nurul Hasan Sohan get dropped.

The Tigers named a 15-member squad yesterday, with T20I skipper Litton Das -- who last played an ODI in July last year -- slotted into the squad to fulfil a middle-order role. His ODI form had been abysmal before he was dropped after the first ODI against Sri Lanka last year, while injuries saw him miss the Afghanistan and West Indies series.

In his last eight ODI innings, Litton failed to reach double digits and produced four ducks. He appeared in three games in the just-concluded Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), where he struck one fifty.

“There may be questions about Litton Das’s recent ODI form, but he has been working closely with the coaches on his game. We believe he can soon produce his best in this format and are considering him as an option to strengthen the middle order,” BCB chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu was quoted as saying in the BCB media release on Thursday.

Afif Hossain struck a hundred in the BCL. Before that, the left-hander managed 317 runs in the last Dhaka Premier League (DPL) in 15 games, with one fifty and an average of 35.22 in March-April last year.

Apparently, these numbers were enough to convince the board to have Afif replace other middle-order batters who were present in the last ODI assignment, the home series against the West Indies.

It was also apparent that Jaker, Shamim and Sohan have not done enough with the opportunities they were provided. “We have provided opportunities to several players in the middle order, but unfortunately, some have not done enough to secure their places. With that in mind, Afif Hossain has been recalled. He brings valuable experience and currently appears to be in fine touch,” Lipu said.

Meanwhile, pacer Hasan Mahmud, who is nursing a tennis elbow injury, has been left out of the squad. Tanzim Sakib, who is recovering from a back issue, was also left out as the BCB opted for precaution. Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana came into the squad as replacements for the duo, as Bangladesh named four pace options.

Meanwhile, Nasum Ahmed, who had appeared in the last two ODIs against the Windies, has also been excluded from the squad.

The squad for the Pakistan series are set to play a practice match against BCL All Stars XI on March 7.