Ashraful's captaincy
I am mainly addressing the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board, and at the same time requesting your readers' valuable judgment on my opinion against the following:
First of all, I would like to tell you that I have the guts to criticize cricketers playing first class cricket in international arena as I posses a super-class experience in cricket while playing such amateur college-cricket as a student, where a batting side used to get inspiring claps from its supporters whenever a SIDE could reach the TOTAL score of 25(Quarter Century); and having such a valuable expertise, I would like to draw your attention towards the following :
During the past ODI matches against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh lost a match in a winning situation by putting inexperienced Rubel to bowl in the slog-overs while Shakib's and Ashraful's quota was open.
In the on going 20Twenty series, in the match with India, again Rubel was used in the slog-overs while Shakib's quota was open. Here Mashrafe also contributed by allowing out-of-form Yuvraj Singh hit 3 sixes and 2 fours in an over(evidently with provocative deliveries to take wicket which is virtually meaningless in such a situation), which together with Rubel's bowling(apparently the same type of deliveries as by Mashrafe) turned the game in India's favour.
And finally, in the match with Ireland, which was the decider for the continuation in the tournament for Bangladesh, Ashraful decided to allow the same Rubel to bowl in the slog-over. This time also Shakib's and Razzak's options were open.
Why Ashraful, keeping all other aspects aside, went for these suicidal decisions at the most crucial times of each of the matches mentioned above? He must answer these questions with acceptable reasons to the BCB. And the board should consider his answer from a professional point of view and take a final decision on the captaincy of Bangladesh team. This is my earnest request to the board.
And at the end, I want to tell Rubel a simple thing. My dear Rubel(and Mashrafe also), Suppose you are to bowl in the last over of a match where the batting side requires 11 runs to win with 5 wickets in hand. You succeed in taking 4 wickets in the same over with consecutive first 4 provocative deliveries. Well done with 4 wickets with a hattrick! What a splendid job! Isn't it?
Now you went for the fifth delivery in the same way expecting the 5th wicket while the last batsman manages to hit a six. Now you should not worry as the side still need another 5 runs. You bowl the last ball expecting even a four will be in vain for them; and you find the ball, after being hit by the last batsman is Going, Going , Going and Gone over the boundary line. What will be the result of the game, my dear Rubel?
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