In the aftermath of the T20 World Cup, the spotlight has shifted to franchise leagues around the globe, where Bangladeshi cricketers have been eager to showcase their prowess. However, the transition from international to league cricket has not been seamless for these players.
In the Major League Cricket (MLC), the versatile Shakib Al Hasan is showcasing his skills. Meanwhile, in the LPL, the likes of Taskin Ahmed, Shariful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, and Towhid Hridoy are in action.
Regrettably, the Bangladeshi players are not finding much success in either league. In the LPL, the trio of pacers, along with Shakib in the MLC, are being rather generous with runs when bowling. Towhid Hridoy, representing Dambulla Sixers, is yet to make his appearance on the pitch.
Since the World Cup, Shakib's form with the ball has been off-kilter. Throughout the tournament, he played 7 matches but managed to claim only 3 wickets. His performances even seemed to diminish the confidence captain Nazmul Hossain had in him.
Frequently, he has been unable to bowl his full allotment of 4 overs. Turning out for the Los Angeles Knight Riders in America's Major League Cricket, Shakib's performances have continued to be subdued. In this league as well, he has failed to complete his bowling quota in three matches.
Against the Texas Super Kings, Shakib relinquished 32 runs in 3 overs. Facing San Francisco, he surrendered 27 runs in 2 overs. And most recently, against the Seattle Orcas on Wednesday, he conceded 23 runs in 2 overs. After these 3 matches, Shakib's bowling figures are 7-0-82-1, with an economy rate of 11.71. He has attempted to make amends with the bat, albeit with limited success. Batting at number four, he scored 18 runs from 13 balls in the first match and 35 from 26 balls in the second. Yesterday, however, he failed to seize the opportunity, departing after scoring 7 runs from 7 balls.
In other leagues, the remaining trio of Bangladeshi bowlers are emulating their senior, Shakib, by liberally conceding runs. In the LPL, Mustafizur, Taskin, and Shariful are the main bowlers, with Taskin boasting the most economical rate. Playing for Colombo Strikers, this fast bowler has claimed 4 wickets in 3 matches, at a cost of 10.27 runs per over.
In his most recent outing, Taskin gave away 38 runs in 3 overs. Mustafizur Rahman's economy rate stands at 11.06 per over. Playing for Dambulla Sixers, he hasn't been prolific in taking wickets—securing just 5 in 4 matches. Shariful has proved to be the most costly of the Bangladeshi bowlers.
Over 4 matches, Shariful has taken 4 wickets, costing 11.61 runs per over. Towhid Hridoy, Mustafizur's teammate, has had the opportunity to play in only two matches. After being dismissed for 1 run in the first match, he didn't get to bat in the second. Since then, he has struggled to secure a spot in the playing eleven.
The Global T20 League in Canada is set to commence on the 25th of July. Bangladeshi leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and pace-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin are slated to participate in the league. The onus to alleviate the bowlers' woes now lies with these two, particularly Rishad, who delivered an outstanding performance in the World Cup.
