With the Bangabandhu T20 Cup starting from November 24, cricket enthusiasts in Bangladesh are eager to watch local stars battle it out against each. In the lead-up to the tournament, The Daily Star tries to assess and analyse each of the five teams. Today, we present the third part, an overview of Gazi Group Chattogram.
Background:
Gazi Group Chattogram roped in Mustafizur Rahman, a Grade A player, from the players’ draft with their initial call. While Mustafizur seems to have lost the magic touch that he had at the start of his career, the left-hander can still be crucial for any side he represents. His partnership with yet another left-arm quick — young Shoriful Islam — in the opening overs, coupled with the top and middle-over batting prowess makes the franchise a contender title.
National Stars:
Aside from Mustafizur, Chattogram also boast others national stars including Soumya Sarkar, who was scrutinised in the three-team BCB President’s Cup last month for his slow scoring rate. The left-hander would surely like to shrug off all that criticism and start afresh in this tournament, which could well be good news for the franchise. Mohammad Salahuddin, Chattogram’s coach, said his biggest challenge would be to get the best out of the left-hander. “There is no doubt about Soumya’s potential. I think, as a coach of Chattogram, my biggest challenge will be to bring the best out of him,” said Salahuddin.
In the batting department, Soumya will have the likes of Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque and Mosaddek Hossain alongside him. In the bowling department, Mustafizur will have national teammate Taijul Islam bringing in spin variation.
National stars failing to fire will not be much of a problem for Chattogram, with national discard Ziaur Rahman, young players like Shoriful, Mehadi Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Rakibul Hasan and domestic performer like Shamsur Rahman ready to pick up the slack.
What sets Chattogram apart:
According to the experienced Salahuddin, it is their potential to score quick runs in the middle that sets Chattogram apart from the other four teams. Salahuddin has reasons for what he claimed.
“The strengths of the teams are similar when there are no foreign players involved. The strategies remain simple too. Foreign players are often the ones who score quick runs in the middle. While other teams might suffer in this department, I think players like Mosaddek, Ziaur and young Nahidul Islam give us the edge over others in this regard,” explained Salahuddin.
Key Player:
For Chattogram, the way Liton Das plays at the top will be crucial. Liton, one of the most exquisite players in the Bangladesh national squad, has the ability to set the tone for a big score as an opener. The right-hander had good starts in last month’s BCB President’s Cup but could not make a mark that reflects his actual ability. The team will surely look up to him and want the exquisite right-hander to give Chattogram a flying start with his treat-to-the-eye shot-making in the tournament.