Bangladesh vs England: 5 Bangladeshi players to watch out for

A thrilling Test series between two vastly different teams is in the offing after a superb One Day series between England and Bangladesh. England have been a formidable Test side lately, while Bangladesh on the other hand, have been mediocre in Tests but on their home turf are a dangerous pack to compete with.

Amidst security concerns, the tour finally happened and a spectacular One Day series unfolded, with some exciting prospects from both sides.

The Bangla Tigers would have been disappointed to surrender their coveted home record in ODIs – a streak of 6 successive series wins at home. The fight back would definitely come in the Tests where England will face some quality tweakers in unfamiliar conditions. Recent record suggests that England will have a cakewalk, given their current form in Tests. But in these conditions, Bangladesh can snatch the initiative easily with their efficient spinners.

With the Test series set to start on October 20, let us go through five Bangladesh players who will be in the spotlight:

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#1 Shafiul Islam

With Mohammad Shahid and Mustafizur Rahman sidelined by injury, Shafiul will lead the pace attack, alongside the young Kamrul Islam Rabbi. As the only two seamers in the squad, the onus will be on Shafiul to deliver.

Although the pitch is likely to be a square turner, Shafiul will be tasked with trying to plug a wicket or two in the opening spell and then later hold up an end for the spinners to exploit. The rough created by Shafiul will be crucial for the off-spinners against the left-handers in the England line-up.

Shafiul has played in just 8 Tests and has 15 wickets to his name with best figures of 4/67. This series, where he is expected to start as the frontline seamer, will be a crucial one for his career.

#2 Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib will be an important player for Bangladesh with the bat and ball

The all-rounder will be the key for Bangladesh just because of his sheer experience at International level. One of the best cricketers to come from the country, Shakib will be expected to don the role of mentor to many of the younger players. His quickish left arm spin and formidable batting in the middle order would prove to be a thorn in England’s attempt to snatch the series.

He is particularly impressive against spinners and his resilience is unquestionable and should play a part in deciding this series. His batting average at home, which is 42.57, is much better than his overall average of 39.76.

With England players considered average against spin bowlers, Shakib will be expected to put in a lot of overs.

#3 Mehedi Hasan Miraz

The uncapped spinner can be a surprise weapon against the English (Image Courtesy: risingbd)

The young uncapped Under-19 skipper is one of the four new faces in the Bangladesh Test squad. Miraz lead his team admirably in the U-19 World Cup in 2016, guiding them to the semi-finals of the tournament before losing to eventual champions, West Indies. Bangladesh U-19, however, beat Sri Lanka in the 3rd place play-off by 3 wickets.

Miraz was named the Man of the Tournament for his brilliant all-round show and captaincy. The lad made 242 runs and took 12 wickets in six games to come out as the best player in the series.

The youngster is an off-spinner and against an England Test line-up likely to have four frontline lefties (Alistair Cook, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes), he will be vital. The rough created by the right-hand seamers will be exploited by the tweaker. Miraz has played in 9 first-class matches taking 37 wickets at an average of 22.35.

#4 Sabbir Rahman

Rahman has grown as a batsman quickly and is handy with the ball, too

Rahman is already a permanent fixture in the Bangladesh limited overs line-up and has made rapid strides from a lower order hitter to a no.3 batsman in ODIs. Sabbir is likely to slot in at no.7 in the test line-up, given Bangladesh’s preference to play 7 batsmen in Tests.

His game is based on quick reflexes and an attacking mind set and his style of batting resembles that of ex-Bangladesh captain, Habibul Bashar.

Sabbir is an excellent player of spin and pace alike. He uses the pace of the bowlers to good effect which could come in handy against Finn, Stokes and Woakes. Though he is a quality option at No.3 behind the openers, this might be a tad early to push him up the order.

The series will be a vital one for Sabbir who could also bowl some handy leggies.

#5 Imrul Kayes

Kayes has proven himself in limited overs cricket

The left-hander has been in the headlines of late for his exploits in the limited overs arena. He made a hundred for Bangladesh XI against England in a tour match before cracking another ton in the first ODI.

Kayes could be considered more of a Test batsman than a limited overs batsman, with a solid technique and ability to bat for long.

The Bangladeshi has scored all 3 of his hundreds on home soil averages 4 more than his overall average at home. He made a dashing 150 against Pakistan last year and this augers well for Bangladesh, who are in search for a stable opener to partner the dynamic Tamim Iqbal.