The suspensions of Bangladesh cricketers Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny have put the Bangladesh side in a conundrum ahead of their crucial Super 10 encounter against Australia, scheduled for today at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Taskin and Sunny’s suspensions have suddenly forced the Tigers team management to tinker with their playing XI on the eve of the Australia clash. Such is the desperation of the Bangladesh think tank that pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman is all set to be named in the playing XI today, despite not being fully match-fit.
Mustafizur incurred a side-strain injury during the Asia Cup Twenty20 earlier this month and as a result, missed out on the entirety of the first round of the 2016 World T20. The left-arm paceman also sat out the Super 10 opener against Pakistan at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
“We have to make Mustafiz play even if he is 20 percent fit. We are out of our best players and have nothing much to do. We are disappointed and hurt with the decision. He (Taskin) was our key bowler and was in brilliant form. But there is a process which we have to go through now. We need to forget all our sorrows and think of every ball we deliver in the middle. I believe the boys will give their best for the country [today],” Mashrafe informed the media at M Chinnaswamy Stadium yesterday.
“Australia are a tough opposition. We will have to work hard to get a positive result from the game. The spinners will have to take responsibility and the batsmen will have to score big if we bat first, given that our bowling strength has been weakened now,” he said.
Mashrafe believes the two bowlers, especially Taskin, have been the unfortunate victims of injustice and is of the opinion that the Bangladesh Cricket Board should do everything in its power to clear the duo.
“The whole thing now depends on the ICC and the BCB. We want justice with our players. Taskin has no issue with his bowling action. We want the board to clear this fact. We cannot make any decision overlooking the board. All of us know that we have limitations,” he added.
