With several regular players out of the squad, Bangladesh will go for a remade team to seal the series in the third Twenty20 International against Zimbabwe.
The hosts have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series. The third game is set for 3pm local time at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna on Wednesday.
Experimentation has been the buzzword in the series but Bangladesh went for the same team in the first two matches. But the home team will be without at least four players from the previous combination in the third match.
Mushfiqur Rahim is out with injury while Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury has been sidelined after he failed to make the most of his chances in the first two matches.
With pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Al-Amin Hossain rested, Bangladesh Premier League find Abu Haider Rony’s inclusion in the playing eleven is all but confirmed.
Opener Imrul Kayes and spinner Arafat Sunny are the top contenders to replace Mushfiq and Shuvagata in the lineup.
During Tuesday’s team training, Taskin Ahmed was seen speaking to coach Chandika Hathurusingha and skipper Mashrafe before doing some individual catching practice.
With the young pacer’s shortcomings in fielding that suggested Taskin might be playing Wednesday’s game.
However, Bangladesh might go for a surprise omission of Tamim Iqbal who played in all the matches for Bangladesh last year.
In that case, 20-year-old Mosaddek Hossain could be handed a debut while Kayes might open the innings with Soumya Sarkar.
Mashrafe’s leadership skills will be put to the test in the match with so many changes in line.
Despite that Soumya thinks Bangladesh will continue in their winning ways on Wednesday.
“We don’t think our rhythm will be disrupted. The new players will try to prove themselves. Like always, we will take to the field to win and play our natural game,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Visitors Zimbabwe had surprisingly left out their regular captain Elton Chigumbura from the playing eleven in the second match, but it bore no result.
Visitors Zimbabwe, who followed up their series loss to Afghanistan with back-to-back defeats in Khulna, are also likely to further tinker with their squad to look for a lift.
Both teams have started well with the bat in both matches but suffered lapses after the departure of their openers who relied heavily on boundaries.
Bangladesh opener Soumya, who scored 43 in the last match, has identified the problem and is looking for a solution.
“I have been thinking about singles. Running for singles after getting a boundary in an over can rotate the strike and relieve the pressure.
“In the last match, I did not take enough singles and gave away too many dot balls. I will try to focus more on singles in the next matches.”
Source: Bd news24
