Bangladesh will have a vastly inexperienced opening pair when they step onto the field in the upcoming Test series. In a move that’s attracted mixed reactions, Shakib Al Hasan will likely bat No. 4. It’s not hard to see why Shakib might make this decision: He’s one of Bangladesh’s most talented batsmen and is expected to fill the hole left by other players.
Shakib Al Hasan, a staunch all-rounder for Bangladesh, has suffered a massive setback after the national selectors suggested and urged the top-order batsman to play at No. 4 in T20 international matches.
The T20I tri-series in New Zealand, including Pakistan, will be Bangladesh’s final international match before the T20 World Cup in Australia. Bangladesh is still sorting out the batting order for the T20 format. Shakib recently scored a half-century in the CPL at number four, and the team management believes he is best suited there because it will allow him to guide the middle-order while Litton or anyone else does the job at three.
Shakib has been a reliable performer at No. 3, but the team’s management wants to rearrange the lineup and move Shakib to No. 4 to acquire a competitive edge. Sabbir Rahman, the temporary opener, could be replaced by Soumya Sarkar or Nazmul Hossain, or they could start at position three if Litton Das returns to the opening position.
In a recent interview by Cricbuzz with Bashar, he said, “We’re discussing it (whether or not he’ll bat at three or not). Within the CPL, he batted at 4 and performed nicely. I feel that on Australian wickets, he’ll make an obligatory adjustment (even when he’s moved to 4). It is not like he (Shakib) could be very inflexible so far as his batting order is anxious. “He’s very versatile and would not have any drawbacks batting at three or four after we spoke with him about his place within the batting order.”
On Shakib, he also said, “The biggest thing is that Shakib is open-minded about batting anywhere.” Many people think he won’t bat anywhere but three, but he does not carry such a mindset. He is happy to bat anywhere, and being the captain, he sees everything from a different perspective and looks like he is more than happy to do anything good for the team. I feel he will bat at four in Australia, while someone else will bat at three. “I think our five, six, and seven are fixed,”
Bashar added that Shakib’s recent performances had suffered a little due to his expectation to increase his scoring at No. 3, which has resulted in his dismissals.
On October 7, Bangladesh will begin its tri-nation series against Pakistan.
