Publish : 20 Nov 2021, 10:15 AMUpdate : 27 Dec 2021, 02:44 PM
Bangladesh opted for five specialist bowlers against Pakistan in the first T20I of the three-match series.
Along with three pacers Mustafizur Rahiman, Taskin Ahmed and Sharful Islam, the Tigers chose a specialist leg-spinner in Aminul Islam with his partner in the spin bowling department being off-spinner Mahedi Hasan.
While defending a below-par total of 127, the Tigers lost by four wickets due to a late blitz from Pakistan lower-order batsmen Shadab Khan (21 off 10) and Mohammad Nawaz (18 off eight).
Surprisingly, Aminul, the specialist leggie in the playing XI, just bowled two deliveries in the match, and captain Mahmudullah thought it best to give him the ball in the last over of the game when the encounter was heavily tilted in Pakistan’s favor.
Pakistan were under pressure after the powerplay as they were 24 for four after six overs.
Aminul could have created more pressure at that time.
But the reason for not giving him the ball, which was revealed later, seems weird, awkward and strange.
Mahmudullah informed in the post-match press conference that since two left-handers (Fakhar Zaman and Khushdil Shah) were batting at that time in the middle overs, Aminul was not introduced to the attack as Bangladesh think tank believes a leg-spinner will never be successful against lefthanders.
This is not the first time such an incident happened.
Bangladesh team have been following this theory almost blindly in the last few years in all formats.
Whenever a left-handed batsman gets set in the crease, Bangladesh captain removes his leg-spinner or left arm spinner from the bowling attack, thinking that the left-hander will blow away the left-arm spinner’s spin threat straightway.
Technically, sometimes a left-handed batsman might get slight advantage against a left-arm spinner or leg-spinner.
But that does not mean that a leg-spinner will never get success against a left-hander.
There is no such rule written in the grammar book of cricket that a leg-spinner will never be successful against left-handers.
But this theory or strategy has become a blind superstition for Bangladesh in the last few years and every captain in the last five-six years has followed this blindly.
The leg-spinner Aminul was poorly treated Friday. He was picked in the playing XI as a specialist bowler but his captain only gave him the chance to bowl the last over.
It seems he had never bowled against left-handers in his entire playing career.
In fact, he was unfairly treated in the recently concluded T20 World Cup as well when he was sent home during the first phase of the tournament as team management thought carrying a leg-spinner was just like an extra burden.
Let's analyze what is going on in modern day cricket.
Every other team emphasizes on leg-spinners and consider them crucial in shorter formats, particularly in T20Is.
Just look at the top sides of the world - England have Adil Rashid, Australia Adam Zampa, Pakistan Shadab Khan, India Yuzvendra Chahal and many more, Sri Lanka Wanindu Hasaranga, Afghanistan Rashid Khan, South Africa Imran Tahir and the list goes on.
Do all these leg-spinners only get wickets against right-handers?
Are the captains of these teams frightened to give the ball to his leg-spinners - a wicket taking option - in the crunch time of a game ? Answer is no.
But for Bangladesh, the equation changes.
It seems every team has one quality leg-spinner in their squad who is playing regularly but for Bangladesh, the trend is exactly the opposite.
Even if a leg-spinner plays for Bangladesh, the captain follows that weird rule of not allowing them to bowl to left-handers.
In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, two of the highest wicket-takers were leg-spinners - Hasaranga with 16 wickets and Zampa with 13 wickets.
Did all of their wickets come only against right-handers? Answer is again, no.
When Zampa got five wickets against Bangladesh in their Super 12 match, four of his scalps were those of left-handed batsmen.
So when Afif Hossain came out to bat, or Shamim Hossain, did Aaron Finch remove Zampa from the attack just because the Bangladeshi batsmen were left handed? Not at all.
Zampa continued and he took the wickets of Afif, Shamim, Mustafizur and Shariful – all of whom are left-handers.
Even in Friday's match, when Afif got set in the middle Pakistan captain Babar Azam did not hesitate to bring Shadab, his leg-spinner, to the attack.
Shadab even earned a maiden over against Afif in the 10th over of the match when the left-hander was batting on 19.
So the bottom line is, Bangladesh think tank must rethink its strategy and use leg-spinners in the game.
The cricket world has advanced with new strategy and thought process, but Bangladesh are still holding on to an old belief, which is like a superstition, and it must be changed soon.
Tigers’ bizarre theory of not using leg-spinners to lefty batsmen
Bangladesh opted for five specialist bowlers against Pakistan in the first T20I of the three-match series.
Along with three pacers Mustafizur Rahiman, Taskin Ahmed and Sharful Islam, the Tigers chose a specialist leg-spinner in Aminul Islam with his partner in the spin bowling department being off-spinner Mahedi Hasan.
While defending a below-par total of 127, the Tigers lost by four wickets due to a late blitz from Pakistan lower-order batsmen Shadab Khan (21 off 10) and Mohammad Nawaz (18 off eight).
Surprisingly, Aminul, the specialist leggie in the playing XI, just bowled two deliveries in the match, and captain Mahmudullah thought it best to give him the ball in the last over of the game when the encounter was heavily tilted in Pakistan’s favor.
Pakistan were under pressure after the powerplay as they were 24 for four after six overs.
Aminul could have created more pressure at that time.
But the reason for not giving him the ball, which was revealed later, seems weird, awkward and strange.
Mahmudullah informed in the post-match press conference that since two left-handers (Fakhar Zaman and Khushdil Shah) were batting at that time in the middle overs, Aminul was not introduced to the attack as Bangladesh think tank believes a leg-spinner will never be successful against lefthanders.
This is not the first time such an incident happened.
Bangladesh team have been following this theory almost blindly in the last few years in all formats.
Whenever a left-handed batsman gets set in the crease, Bangladesh captain removes his leg-spinner or left arm spinner from the bowling attack, thinking that the left-hander will blow away the left-arm spinner’s spin threat straightway.
Technically, sometimes a left-handed batsman might get slight advantage against a left-arm spinner or leg-spinner.
But that does not mean that a leg-spinner will never get success against a left-hander.
There is no such rule written in the grammar book of cricket that a leg-spinner will never be successful against left-handers.
But this theory or strategy has become a blind superstition for Bangladesh in the last few years and every captain in the last five-six years has followed this blindly.
The leg-spinner Aminul was poorly treated Friday. He was picked in the playing XI as a specialist bowler but his captain only gave him the chance to bowl the last over.
It seems he had never bowled against left-handers in his entire playing career.
In fact, he was unfairly treated in the recently concluded T20 World Cup as well when he was sent home during the first phase of the tournament as team management thought carrying a leg-spinner was just like an extra burden.
Let's analyze what is going on in modern day cricket.
Every other team emphasizes on leg-spinners and consider them crucial in shorter formats, particularly in T20Is.
Just look at the top sides of the world - England have Adil Rashid, Australia Adam Zampa, Pakistan Shadab Khan, India Yuzvendra Chahal and many more, Sri Lanka Wanindu Hasaranga, Afghanistan Rashid Khan, South Africa Imran Tahir and the list goes on.
Do all these leg-spinners only get wickets against right-handers?
Are the captains of these teams frightened to give the ball to his leg-spinners - a wicket taking option - in the crunch time of a game ? Answer is no.
But for Bangladesh, the equation changes.
It seems every team has one quality leg-spinner in their squad who is playing regularly but for Bangladesh, the trend is exactly the opposite.
Even if a leg-spinner plays for Bangladesh, the captain follows that weird rule of not allowing them to bowl to left-handers.
In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, two of the highest wicket-takers were leg-spinners - Hasaranga with 16 wickets and Zampa with 13 wickets.
Did all of their wickets come only against right-handers? Answer is again, no.
When Zampa got five wickets against Bangladesh in their Super 12 match, four of his scalps were those of left-handed batsmen.
So when Afif Hossain came out to bat, or Shamim Hossain, did Aaron Finch remove Zampa from the attack just because the Bangladeshi batsmen were left handed? Not at all.
Zampa continued and he took the wickets of Afif, Shamim, Mustafizur and Shariful – all of whom are left-handers.
Even in Friday's match, when Afif got set in the middle Pakistan captain Babar Azam did not hesitate to bring Shadab, his leg-spinner, to the attack.
Shadab even earned a maiden over against Afif in the 10th over of the match when the left-hander was batting on 19.
So the bottom line is, Bangladesh think tank must rethink its strategy and use leg-spinners in the game.
The cricket world has advanced with new strategy and thought process, but Bangladesh are still holding on to an old belief, which is like a superstition, and it must be changed soon.
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