|| CF CORRESPONDENT ||
Bangladesh wicket-keeper batter Litton Das has been struggling with his form even before the T20 World Cup. Even with Litton in the squad, Jaker Ali Anik has also been given opportunities.
Former cricketer Imrul Kayes expressed his confusion about playing two wicketkeeper-batsmen in the same match. Speaking on Crickfrenzy's post-match show after the India game, Imrul suggested giving Litton a break due to his poor form.
Despite failing to deliver notable performances this year, Litton was taken to the World Cup in the West Indies and the United States based on the confidence of the captain and coach. However, Litton has not been able to justify their faith.
So far, in six games, Litton has scored only 85 runs at an average of 14.16, with a strike rate of 85. His highest score in this World Cup has been 36 runs against Sri Lanka. Throughout the year, Litton's performance with the bat has been disappointing, scoring just 178 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of less than 100. Despite this form, he continues to be a regular in the team.
"Why are we playing two wicketkeeper-batsmen in a match? My question is this. If a player is not scoring runs, we can at least give him a break. Litton is not scoring runs, so we can try Zakir in his place. This way, I can play an extra bowler," Imrul said.
"In our country, there seems to be a tradition that certain batsmen will always play, whether they perform well or not. This is unfair, and everyone should be given equal opportunities. Otherwise, we will continue to suffer like this."
The selection of the Bangladesh playing XI for the India match has faced significant criticism. Throughout the World Cup, the bowlers have played a crucial role in Bangladesh's victories. However, against India, Taskin Ahmed was benched, and Zakir was included in the team. Many have questioned why Shoriful Islam was not played instead of Taskin.
Imrul believes that leaving out the best bowlers in favor of batsmen makes no sense as he said "You have to acknowledge that Taskin is Bangladesh's best bowler. Recently, Shoriful has been bowling very well. I don’t understand why we are trying other things by benching our best bowlers. If we need to try something, we should do it where it isn’t working" he added.