October 22, 2024

All Eyes on Mehidy to Step Up in Shakib’s Absence

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain emphasized on Sunday that Mehidy Hasan needs to step up in the absence of star all-rounder Shakib al Hasan as the team prepares for a two-match Test series against South Africa. While acknowledging the challenge of replacing Shakib, Najmul expressed confidence that Mehidy is capable of filling this crucial role due to his recent strong performances with both bat and ball.

Since 2022, Mehidy has participated in 12 Test matches, scoring 600 runs at an average of 35.29. He has also taken 48 wickets, with an economy rate of 3.25 and an average of 28.08.

“It is hard to match him (Shakib),” Najmul said. “We are struggling to find the right combination. It will take a bit of time. It is not within our control. I think the players have the ability to play their own roles.

“It is hard to match him (Shakib), especially for the captain. I don’t think wickets will change. We have to think about the extra batter or bowler. The No 7 becomes a crucial spot. We don’t have anyone exactly like Shakib bhai but Miraz can be a very good option.

“He (Mehidy) is bowling and batting superbly. There are more responsibilities, which Miraz is prepared for. He has improved his batting. He is taking the team to good positions. If you look at the last few Tests. I would hope that Miraz can take that place (of Shakib) in the next couple of years.”

Read More: New Zealand Stays Composed to Secure a Smooth Victory

Moving Forward: Najmul Focuses on Upcoming Matches Despite Shakib’s Absence

Najmul also mentioned that it was unfortunate Shakib couldn’t participate in his farewell Test at SBNS. However, he stressed that the team is now focused on moving past that and concentrating on their upcoming matches.

“We had plans to send off one of the world’s best players. All of us personally feel that it (his retirement) remains pending,” he said.”It is unfortunate. It shouldn’t have happened. We can’t spend too much time talking about it on the day before the Test match.”

In addition to finding a replacement for Shakib, the captain faces other challenges ahead of the Test series. One key issue is adapting to the philosophy of newly-appointed head coach Phil Simmons, moving away from the strategies previously emphasized by Chandika Hathurusingha.

“A lot of things have changed in the last five days. The new coach isn’t planning too much. He is new here. He is trying to understand everything. I know as a captain what the team is trying to do. Players know their role, and I have shared the plan with the new coach. We intend to utilize our wealth of experience at this venue. I don’t think we need to think too much about the previous coach and the new coach,” he said.

“He (Simmons) joined the team upon arrival. We spent a bit of time together. He wanted to know about the team environment. He is very new here. We are trying to understand each other, which I think will happen in the next one or two matches.

“We had both good and bad times under him (Chandika Hathurusingha). We won some matches, we lost too. We have to look forward, we can’t look back. It’s important how we play the coming Test.

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Focused and Ready: Bangladesh Seeks First Test Win Against South Africa

“We are not thinking of the outside noise. We are focused on the match. We haven’t won against South Africa earlier. So this is a great opportunity given our team and that the fact that we playing at home.

Najmul stated that Bangladesh has a strong opportunity to secure their first win against South Africa, as they feel confident facing a relatively young Proteas team.

“We haven’t won against South Africa before so this is a great opportunity given our team and that the fact that we playing at home. I think they are a good team, although they are not experienced. We did well in Pakistan, but didn’t do well in India. I feel the Test team is in good stead. We feel it will be a good Test match if we can execute properly. Crucial would be session-by-session domination.

“Spinners usually have a strong role in Mirpur. They don’t have to try anything extra. They have to stick to the process, bowl every ball for the team. We have to find a way to take 20 wickets, which will become easier if we stick to the process,” he said.

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