We shouldn’t let the ODI sequence in Bangladesh go unmentioned. Sure, it was ‘solely Bangladesh’, however not all people realises that the Tigers are fairly helpful in their very own yard. Actually, England are the one facet to have received a bilateral ODI sequence in Bangladesh since 2015. And now we’ve performed it twice! It’s a formidable achievement.
Who have been our stars within the 2-1 sequence win? Two acquainted faces excelled with the bat. Jason Roy returned to type with 155 runs at a median of 52 (though the lion’s share got here in a single innings). And Dawid Malan adopted swimsuit with 125 runs at 63 on the again of a formidable 114*. As for the bowlers, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran and Jofra Archer took loads of wickets and all averaged beneath 15. Fairly helpful, eh?
The one slight disappointment from the sequence is that the much less skilled, or maybe I ought to say ‘fringe’ gamers, missed alternatives to cement their locations. Phil Salt, Will Jacks and James Vince did little to place strain on the established names that may inevitable return for the World Cup.
So what’s up subsequent? You received’t be stunned to be taught that the schedulers have crammed in a fast T20 sequence, too. Properly, why not? There’s cash to be made. What’s extra, the video games may show to be fairly entertaining.
England are, after all, the World T20 champions. So this tour presents an ideal alternative to seal our popularity as short-form kings. We will additionally attempt to recreate that dominant win over Bangladesh within the 2021 T20 World Cup – we restricted them to 124-9 (due to an impressed efficiency by Tymal Mills) after which knocked off the runs in simply 14 overs. The standout with the bat in that sport? A sure Jason Roy, once more.
England might be fielding a staff with a special really feel this time, although. Eoin Morgan, who captained the facet in that 2021 contest, has lengthy since retired. There may also be no Liam Livingstone or Jonny Bairstow on this event. Ben Duckett, Reece Topley, and teenage phenom Rehan Ahmed ought to deliver a contemporary vibe to proceedings. I’m significantly eager to see how the latter will get on.
What’s fascinating, nevertheless, is that Will Jacks is out injured however, so far, England haven’t referred to as up a substitute. That is barely odd as a result of I assumed the squad seemed a batsman mild to start with. Our depth, subsequently, seems a bit threadbare. The likes of Moeen and Sam Curran will certainly must step up. Certainly, younger Sam may discover himself coming in as excessive as No.6. Hmmm.
As for Bangladesh, they’ve picked a number of new faces, too. Towhid Hridoy is arguably essentially the most eye-catching one as a result of he scored a formidable 403 runs within the Bangladesh Premier League. He’s additionally a former Bangladesh U19 star that’s been touted by some as the following huge factor.
Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam additionally starred within the Bangladesh Premier League with a tally of 18 wickets – an achievement to not be sniffed at. One other one to look at is Taskin Ahmed, who impressively turned down a suggestion to play within the Pakistan Premier League as a way to face England. Good lad.
Nonetheless, regardless of the brand new faces, Bangladesh will inevitably lean on their extra established stars, too. Shakib stays among the best all-round cricketers on the planet – as he proved, but once more, within the current ODI sequence. The skilled Mustafizur Rahman is clearly one other lynchpin. Najmul Hossain Shanto, who averaged 37 within the ODIs, and Medidy Hasan Miraz, who took 5 wickets, are additionally first rate performers.
So who’s going to win? England are understandably favourites. We’re on a roll and taking part in with confidence. Nonetheless, I’m barely involved about that batting depth. Due to this fact, it could be silly to rule out Bangladesh – particularly as T20 cricket might be so unpredictable. Head over to BettingLounge when you’ve got a powerful inkling and fancy placing your cash the place your mouth is.
The opposite query, after all, is whether or not extra eyes might be on this sequence or the climax of the PSL, which ends on the nineteenth. In my view, worldwide cricket, even T20Is, will all the time be extra essential than some contrived contest between synthetic franchises. Whether or not the broader public agrees, nevertheless, could be very a lot up for debate.
TFT Prediction: England to win 2-1
England Squad: Jos Buttler (c & wk), Phil Salt (wk), Jofra Archer, Mark Wooden, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Rehan Ahmed, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes
Bangladesh Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Afif Hossain, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nasum Ahmed, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shamim Hossain, Rony Talukdar, Towhid Hridoy, Rejaur Rahman Raja and Tanvir Islam
Josh Samuel
