Questions over selection, form and preparation greeted Bangladesh team director Abdur Razzak at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday, as he returned from Qatar and was pressed to explain Mahidul Islam Ankon’s inclusion in the T20 squad for the upcoming Ireland series.
Ankon, who scored 36 runs at an average of 12 and a strike rate of 76.59 across five matches for Bangladesh A, was dismissed for a duck in the final against Pakistan Shaheens. The manner of that dismissal, a reverse sweep that left him lbw before he had scored, prompted questions when Razzak arrived back in Dhaka. He made clear the decision had not been his. “The selectors have made that call. They have given him an opportunity. You can ask me about what happens after we get together. I cannot comment on the selection itself,” he said.
Bangladesh arrive at the Ireland series on the back of a mixed run. The West Indies, who had previously lost a T20 series to Nepal, swept Bangladesh 3-0 in the format. Bangladesh claimed the ODI series 2-1, although the match lost in a super over, Razzak noted, should have been won. Assessing the recent performance, he said, “We won one of the two series against West Indies. The other we lost. It was decent overall. It would have been better to win both. Our goal will be to make sure we secure this series too.”
Bangladesh had previously won four consecutive T20 series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Netherlands and Afghanistan. Their attempt to extend that streak to five was halted by their batting failures against West Indies. Despite criticism, Razzak argued the team had been performing well. “We have won most of our T20 series. The team has been winning somehow. If you are winning, how can you say it is bad? Why say it is bad? I have not felt that way,” he said. “This is a game of momentum. The team with more momentum wins. We will try to keep momentum on our side.”
The first T20 against Ireland will be played in Chattogram on Thursday, where wickets tend to be more batting friendly than in Mirpur. Asked what to expect from the surface, Razzak was blunt. “I have not seen the wicket yet. How can I say? We are just travelling. It is hard to predict. We will try to score whatever is needed to win, Insha Allah.”
For this series the Bangladesh Cricket Board has appointed Mohammad Ashraful as specialist batting coach. The Test side has just completed a 2-0 sweep of Ireland, with heavy scoring in both matches in Sylhet and Mirpur. Razzak cautioned against drawing early conclusions about Ashraful’s impact. “If you talk about experience, he is the most experienced among us. It is difficult to judge within such a short time. The impact often becomes clear later. It is hard to comment on someone suddenly,” he said. “It seems he is focusing more on tactics than technique. I always see him close to the batters, talking during training and even during matches. I think there will be a positive impact, Insha Allah.”
Razzak will serve as team director for the Ireland series while also taking on roles as vice chairman of the women’s department and head of the High Performance Unit. Ankon, who has played one Test and three ODIs for Bangladesh, returned home in the early hours and must now head to Chattogram to join the senior side in preparation for the opening T20.
