Analysis: Bangladesh danger men
Mohammad Ashraful didn't deal well with the Bangladeshi captaincy but is now back to his best
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Thursday, 25, Feb 2010 01:37
By Will Haine.
Alastair Cook begins his tenure as England captain on Sunday as his side face the relatively straightforward task of competing against international cricket whipping boys Bangladesh.
Three ODIs and two Test matches will be played out between the two teams over the coming weeks, and England will be expected to record wins in all of the encounters.
But Bangladesh have, albeit infrequently, caused upsets in the past and England will be well aware of the Tigers' danger men. So, with that in mind, inthenews.co.uk assesses the five most potent threats in the Bangladesh squad.
Mohammad Ashraful
Tests: 53 ODIs: 159
Test batting average: 22.78 ODI batting average: 23.72
Ashraful blazed onto the international cricket scene when he became the youngest batsmen ever to hit a Test century, doing so against Sri Lanka, aged just 17 and on his debut. It was the stuff of fairytales, but it has rarely been that way since. Despite his early promise, statistics show that he has failed to live up to high expectations, although he has offered glimpses of the prodigious talent he showcased so early on in his career. No innings were more apparent then his sensational unbeaten 158 against India just over five years ago and a sublime 136 in Chittagong two years later. But the 25-year-old has failed to score a Test hundred since 2008, while his top score against England is a lowly 12. However, he has fared better against England in the shorter format - smashing a 52 ball 94 at Trent Bridge in 2005. Now back amongst the ranks after an unsuccessful spell as Bangladesh captain, he is also a capable leg-break bowler.
Shakib Al Hasan
Tests: 17 ODIs: 82
Test batting average: 32.56 ODI batting average: 34.75
Test wickets: 58 ODI wickets: 90
Al Hasan has emerged as a vitally important member of the Bangladeshi squad, contributing match defining performances with both bat and ball. His 7-36 against New Zealand in Chittagong just over two years ago remains the best innings haul by a Bangladesh player in Test cricket. Meanwhile, his unbeaten 96 guided the Tigers to victory against a weakened West Indies at St George's last summer in a tour where he also picked up the man-of-the-series award for his 13 wickets. He had to wait until 2010 for his maiden Test century though, and he recorded three figures in Hamilton earlier this month. He has four ODI tons to his name, and also thumped a dazzling 92 not out from 69 balls versus Sri Lanka in January last year. The 22-year-old's left-arm spin has yet to bring him a five-for in a limited overs match, but he did take an economical 4-33 against New Zealand in Christchurch in early February.
Mahmudullah
Tests: 5 ODIs: 44
Test batting average: 48.37 ODI batting average: 31.72
Test wickets: 16 ODI wickets: 24
In ten Test innings batting at either eight or nine, Mahmudullah has impressively scored over 50 on three occasions, including a fluent un-breached 96 against India in January and a composed 115 in Hamilton on February 15th. He is no fool with the ball in his had either, operating with some tidy off-spin, and his eight wickets at St Vincent in July earned the Tigers their first ever Test win overseas. Although still a rookie when it comes to international cricket, the 24-year-old has the ability to make a name for himself at the highest level.
Tamim Iqbal
Tests: 15 ODIs: 73
Test batting average: 33.57 ODI batting average: 28.39
At only 20 years old, Tamim Iqbal already has four international centuries to his name. His maiden Test ton came in Bangladesh's famous series win in the West Indies, but it was his stunning 151 against India in Mirpur last month which really announced him as an exciting prospect. The opening batsman holds the Bangladesh record for highest ODI score after 154 versus Zimbabwe in 2008, while he also has also struck notable half-centuries against Australia, South Africa and Pakistan. Probably the cleanest striker of a cricket ball in the Tigers' side, he is a pleasure to watch when in full flow.
Shahadat Hossain
Tests: 26 ODIs: 46
Test wickets: 60 ODI wickets: 42
Hossain's stock as a bowler with some ferocity rose recently after he broke the jaw of Rahul Dravid with a vicious bouncer in the recent series between India and Bangladesh. It left the Indian batting legend requiring surgery and, hence, made him unavailable for the drawn Test series with South Africa. The right-arm medium-fast bowler made his Test bow at Lord's in 2005, and suffered the embarrassment of shipping 101 runs in 12 wicketless overs as Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan ripped into the debutant. But the 23-year-old has since claimed three five-wicket hauls in Tests, including a memorable 6-27 versus South Africa in Dhaka two years ago. In limited overs cricket, he became the first Bangladeshi to take a hat-trick in ODIs - doing so against Zimbabwe in 2006.