[safaat]

The inevitable period has arrived. After having excelled in the international scene for the last couple of years, the period of bad/lean patch has finally arrived for Shahriar Nafees. There will be many who wouldn't agree. They would say he was bashing minnows over the last couple of years, hence putting a team like Australia in that category, and now is failing against the big sides.

Having scored heavily in the run up to the World Cup, he was due to have a lean patch. Unfortunately for him and Bangladesh the lean patch had to come in the World Cup. Now, the question that is arising is will Shariar be able to return from this lean patch and perform?

That is the real challenge. And this is where I feel is the real worry. Bangladesh have lost many players in the past after the players have shown promise in the first year. Alok, Hannan, Rajin are just examples.

It's in these lean patches where, the experience in domestic cricket is neccesary. Players who come to the international level after having played first class cricket, know how to overcome these patches, because in first class cricket they would have the experience of making a comeback. Shahriar Nafees, like almost all the forgotten talented youngsters of Bangladesh doesn't have much of that experinece. All he will have to bank on is age group experience.

This is the pivtal moment for Shahriar Nafees and in some way also for Bangladesh. If Shahriar Nafees can break this jinx of fading off after the first year, it can just start a new trend for Bangladesh cricket. If he can't then he would just extend the list of players who will faded away and more importantly with so many of his category in the team, the danger of losing more players wouls still be there.