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Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha said that they are finding it hard to replace Shakib al Hasan in the playing XI as they prepare for the second game of the three-match series against New Zealand, scheduled in Nelson on December 20.
New Zealand won the series opener by 44 runs in a rain-curtailed game to go 1-0 up, and would like to maintain their winning record after beating them on 17 successive occasions in 50-over format in their own backyard.
Shakib missed the series due to finger injury that he sustained during the World Cup while stand-in skipper Najmul Hossain, ahead of the series, insisted that Soumya Sarkar will have a big role to play to fill the vacuum created in absence of Shakib.
Hathurusingha echoed the same sentiment, though he added that it would not fair to expect Soumya to what the ace all-rounder has been doing all these years for his country.
“He (Soumya) can’t do what Shakib is doing, but we are expecting him to bowl and bat and basically we are looking at him as an all-rounder,” Hathurusingha told reporters ahead of the second game at Nelson.
“Bangladesh teams for last 15 years were used to having Shakib and we are finding it hard to make a combination and that’s why he (Soumya) is very important for us as an all-rounder to make up our XI,” he said, adding that he is not sure why Soumya is failing to score runs despite being in good touch at domestic level.
Soumya, who dropped two catches in the opening game, made a duck while giving away 63 runs in six overs that he bowled without any success. In the last five ODIs his scores read 0, 32,1,0,0.
“I just saw him for the first time this match, so I don’t know what his problem is; he has been scoring runs domestically and we need someone who can bowl and bat because you know Shakib al Hasan is not here,” he said.
Hathurusingha added that they are expected leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who starred in practice game against New Zealand XI ahead of the series making 87 runs along with picking three wickets, to be part of the playing XI sooner than later.
“We were very tempted to play him (Rishad) last game as well. As we know our record here, it’s challenging for us since we haven’t won a game. We are losing lot of wickets early on and that is one reason we had gone with an extra batsman but going forward, we are looking a leg spinner, so he is our one leg spinner we really want in the XI,” said Hathurusingha adding that interruption due to rain in series opener hampered their planning to a great extent.
Hathurusingha said that they are expecting high scoring game in Nelson while adding that he is not sure how the wicket will behave as they did not have the opportunity to see it.
“This wicket looks very good. We have played couple of games here in 2017. The 2015 World Cup wicket was really good for batting. The outfield is fast so we’re expecting high scoring games. I think it will be a nice sunny day and good for cricket,” said the Sri Lankan, adding that they are not sure how the wicket will behave.
“We haven’t made up our mind yet because the groundsman said he just watered it so we don’t know how the wicket is and have to wait till tomorrow,” he said.