I understand the pain that you guys experience when BD loses a game but let's not jump on Alok's back just yet. As i recall Rajin Saleh was performing really badly untill recently, now if he was let go we might have not seen these great innings that he played both forms of the game. Besides, in a team that features no true superstars, and the only consistent about the players is the inconsistency then why are we just criticising just him? There are many players who are not scoring runs... besides if we choose different players every tour it just doesn't give any real opportunity for an individual to succeed. Alok Kapali gets selected primarly because he follows instructions that coach and the captain provide him with. All you people who think Alok shouldn't have been picked ask yourself the following question: would you pick someone who follows instruction, hard working or someone who plays selfishly and is against team principle. I hope you will find the answer rather quickly. I know you might say he hasn't been out of form for some time now but than again this is the Bangladeshi team we are talking about not Australian: almost every Bangladeshi batsman is very rarely in form. Who could they select in his place? Rana? Too slow of a scorer! for ODIs. Rokon? The same Rokon who has been given many opportunities as a specialist batsman without ever capitalizing once. Rokon's highest score in international cricket is 72 which includes both ODI's and test while Kapali's highest is 89* in ODIs and 85 in test match. Let's look at the head to head stats of all of these players.
Rana's Stats
TESTS
(including 17/12/2004)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 6 11 1 257 69 25.70 37.13 0 1 3 0
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 124.5 19 401 5 80.20 3-84 0 0 149.8 3.21
ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS
(including 07/11/2004)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 14 14 4 247 63 24.70 47.13 0 1 1 0
O M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 92.1 7 370 9 41.11 3-21 0 0 61.4 4.01
Rokon's Stats
TESTS
(including 18/07/2003)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 15 30 0 683 71 22.76 51.39 0 4 10 0
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling - - - - - - - - - -
ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS
(including 03/08/2003)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 29 29 1 374 62* 13.35 52.75 0 2 7 0
O M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling - - - - - - - - - -
Alok's
Career Statistics:
TESTS
(including 26/10/2004)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 16 32 1 559 85 18.03 48.23 0 2 5 0
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 180.5 15 697 6 116.16 3-3 0 0 180.8 3.85
ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS
(including 20/01/2005)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 44 43 2 818 89* 19.95 64.92 0 4 17 0
O M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 142.3 6 703 11 63.90 2-40 0 0 77.7 4.93
I hope the stats prove my point for his selection. Coming back to my earlier point of selfishness of player, now there are many players on the Bangladeshi team who are very egoistic one might safely include the captain Bashar in that list. He showed such act as I recall in a recent Test match against India when hooked a bouncer in spite of a fielder in the deep square leg and when Bangladesh needed him to carry the load. Nafees Iqbal in the last game vs. Zimbawae litterally threw his wicket away and no one seems to get on his bandwagon. The same Nafees who almost single handedly lost the first ODI against India by scoring at a pace not much faster than snails but all is forgotten because he scored a century in the last test which gave our national team its first ever test series win. The team has full of such examples yet Alok seems to be the preferred prey of everyone. And additionally, he was brought in the squad mainly as a spinner... and to my knowledge he bowled quite well last match and let's not forget he's just coming off an injury. Lastly, i don't think he was souly to blame for the loss; Bashar, Ashraful and Aftab should share the load. Somebody once said that in team sports one person can never win or lose the game by themselve and no except should apply in his case. I hope he will be selected match again and so can prove his critics wrong like his Sylheti camarade Rajin did.
Peace out ya'll and hoping for a Bangladesh win in the next match.
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