Different agendas for Bangladesh, Pakistan

With the Pakistan team in town for Bangladesh’s first ODI assignment in more than four months, both sides have begun preparations in Dhaka and are heading into the three-match series chasing different agendas.

For Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons, improving on their ODI mettle seems to be the goal along with getting over the hurt of missing the recently-concluded ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

“I think we are at that stage now where we’re getting past that [disappointment of missing the T20 World Cup]. It was very hurtful for the guys and I’m talking to them and it was very, very hurtful,” Simmons said on Monday during the press conference.

The Pakistan series kicks off a sequence of ODI series for Bangladesh and although they have won their last two ODI series at home against West Indies and Sri Lanka, both by a 2-1 margin, the quality has seemingly declined since the last ODI World Cup in 2023.

Bangladesh, ranked 10th in the ODI rankings, need wins to climb up the ladder and secure a direct entry into next year’s ODI World Cup. However, Simmons wants to look beyond the qualification.

“The ultimate goal is to get better at ODI cricket rather than just focusing on qualification math. Although the team currently lacks some of the experience it had when Bangladesh was at the top of the ODI rankings, the focus is on playing to the level the current talent allows,” Simmons said.

“The team is currently looking at a pool of 23 to 24 players who train together, ensuring that depth is available for the numerous upcoming one-day series,” he added on the player pool, as was evidenced by the likes of Jaker Ali and Parvez Hossain Emon, who are not part of the squad for the Pakistan ODIs, going through batting sessions at the Mirpur Academy ground yesterday.

Soumya Sarkar and Saif Hassan raised faith in the top-order in the last ODI series against West Indies in October. In the absence of a few experienced stars, Bangladesh middle-order does not look as steady as it did before 2023 World Cup.

The creaky middle-order situation made way for the inclusion of Litton Das in the middle-order despite producing single-digit scores in his last eight ODI outings.

“First, it is physically demanding to keep wicket for 50 overs and then immediately open the batting. Second, Litton is one of the team’s better players of spin bowling, which is a vital skill for the middle overs. His experience and skill set are expected to provide the stability the team has lacked in that period,” Simmons said on Litton.

Pakistan, on the other hand, named six uncapped players for the series. It was suggestive that Pakistan -- fourth in the ICC rankings -- wanted a shake-up. Even Babar Azam, who has a ton in Pakistan’s last ODI series, was axed.

Usually worried about Bangladesh’s unpredictable surfaces and its uneven bounce, Hesson was more willing to experiment in this series.

“I don't think anyone particularly was dropped. It is a great opportunity for us to look at some younger talent,” Hesson said.