All-rounder Shakib al Hasan believes the Bangladesh fast bowlers, rather than the spinners, should play the major role against Scotland tomorrow at Saxton Oval.
It has been widely suggested that the Scots might struggle against the Bangladesh spinners but Shakib thinks otherwise.
“It’s a question mark as to whether the spinners can get help from this wicket. If it’s helpful, I think the spinners can utilise it very well. But, there was not much assistance for the spinners in the previous two games that were played here. So, I think the fast bowlers will have to take up the responsibility,” said Shakib after training yesterday.
Two matches have been held at Saxton Oval so far and both of those games saw high-scoring affairs between Ireland-West Indies and UAE-Zimbabwe.
Shakib informed the players got sufficient time to prepare themselves for the game against Scotland and said they underwent some fruitful training sessions and are now eagerly waiting to apply those on the field.
If Bangladesh beat Scotland and England they will make it through to the quarterfinals but Shakib said they were not looking beyond the game against the Associates.
“Actually, I do not know the equation. We never thought we could have an easy ride. If we win this game and gain some momentum, the players will get some confidence. From that perspective, it’s an important game for us,” he said.
Poor fielding cost Bangladesh heavily in their previous game against Sri Lanka as there were several dropped catches and overthrows but Shakib said it was just another bad day and added that they would be looking to put it right against Scotland.
Besides playing an extra spinner against the Scots, it has also been suggested that Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim should bat higher up the order as they are not getting enough opportunities. Shakib said although he won’t mind batting up the order, the decision would ultimately rest on the captain and the coach.
The Scots in the meantime are getting prepared for the Bangladesh clash under the stewardship of former Tigers coach Shane Jurgensen. Shakib, however, did not read too much into the issue.
“At the moment, everyone knows just about everything in world cricket as there are lots of matches played and watched on TV. So, everyone does their own analysis,” he added.