Key issues to address for Bangladesh after series win over UAE

A 2-0 series win against the UAE has come as some respite for Bangladesh who have been quite below-par in Twenty20 Internationals in the recent past. The new-look T20I unit seems to be gaining some confidence ahead of the tri-series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup but there are still certain areas that need improvement, which technical consultant Sridharan Sriram might look to address.

Makeshift openers, is that the way to go?

Finding the best opening combination has been a struggle for Bangladesh, who used makeshift openers Mehidy Hasan and Sabbir Rahman in the two T20Is against the UAE. However, the form of Sabbir, who has been on a comeback trail, remains a concern. Sabbir scored 5 against Sri Lanka while he managed only 0 and 12 against the UAE, which might give the think tank second ideas heading into the tri-series in New Zealand.

However, batting coach Jamie Siddons appears pleased with his massive six in the second game against the UAE. "Sabbir is still trying to find his feet at this level of the game. But, you know, he showed us what he can do with the bat with one shot. We just want to see a bit more of that."

Mehidy, on the other hand, has been better in terms of consistency, scoring 38 against Sri Lanka in his comeback game in the shortest format before scores of 12 and 46 against the UAE. With Bangladesh's T20I skipper Shakib Al Hasan having already mentioned that Mehidy Hasan is preferred for the opening positions, the all-rounder is eager to make the most of the opportunity.

"Team management had given me a role and I am looking forward to (play to) the best to my ability. My contribution is important here and perhaps the team is not expecting huge runs from me at the top but if I can play a small but impactful innings I feel it will be better for the team and I am preparing myself in that way," said Mehidy.

But how Mehidy as an opener deals with 140 kmph bowlers and the bouncy wickets in New Zealand remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Mehidy the bowler is gaining a lot of confidence and it he seems a certainty in the playing XI even if he does not open. The team management had the chance to see Soumya Sarkar and Nazmul Hossain at the top but they did not play both games against the UAE, suggesting that Bangladesh have zeroed in on their first-choice openers although they are not regular openers.

Litton down the order, Afif place at four in doubt

The decision to move Litton Das down the order - from the opening slot to number three in the two-match series against UAE - is a clear indicator that they do not want to use the wicketkeeper-batter at his preferred position at the top. With Shakib Al Hasan, who missed the games against the UAE, set to return to the team in New Zealand, the captain is expected to play at the No. 3 position.

This means a further drop in the batting position for Litton, who is likely to play at No. 4. However, the move move Litton down the order does raise some questions considering he is known for his timing and using the pace of the ball rather than playing big shots.

On the other hand, Afif Hossain is gradually settling in at the number four position, having played a crucial innings of 77 not out off 55 in the first T20I against the UAE. With Afif set to move down to five when Shakib returns, it remains to be seen how easy or difficult that spot would be.

"I always love batting in pressure and to be honest our plan is that even if we lose wicket we would still go for runs and that is what we tried to achieve," Afif spoke about his batting philosophy, while adding that he was not under any pressure despite missing some senior players in the series against UAE.

Saifuddin and Mustafizur struggling with rhythm

The Bangladesh team management will be keeping their fingers crossed regarding Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin as both of them failed to impress against the UAE. Mustafizur was rested for the second game after he hardly troubled the UAE batters in the series opener. This again opens up the debate that Mustafizur isn't the best bet for Bangladesh when it comes to playing away.

Saifuddin recently recovered from an injury and the games against the UAE offered him the chance to get back his rhythm. But he wasn't at his best in both games, going wicketless and conceding 40 from four overs and 26 from three overs in those matches. His yorker wasn't as effective as it has been in the past, but a few more games might help him get back to his best.

Shoriful, who failed to make the cut in the T20 World Cup squad, bowled with lot of heart in the opening match while Taskin Ahmed did not waste the opportunity that was presented to him by the team management after replacing Mustafizur. The think tank may consider Taskin if one of their two preferred pacers isn't delivering.