[al Furqaan]

alok is almost universally disliked on this board. i too was one of his most vehement critics. this stemmed from the 2004 season, where alok was given at least 12 chances after he should have been dropped. the only player to get as many chances as alok is ashraful.

however, he was brought back against kenya, hit a crucial 50 that helped win us the game, and was then thrown back into the trash bin. he never got a decent opportunity.

much as how ashraful is taken from the middle order and forced to open, then after 3 or 4 failures is dropped from the team, the treatment of alok recently is a big mistake. those matches where he was picked, then batted at #9, and never got a chance to bowl, will tell members the point about the mismanagement: if you aren't going to use alok, don't pick him at all. it was wasting a whole spot in the XI.

another issue is that if tushar is picked time and time again, why not alok? you will find that alok's game has more merit than tushar's. yes i know, alok scored 89 and 85 against west indies, but what exactly has tushar done better than that to be included? nothing.

alok should be playing in the middle order at #5, 6, or 7. he was once noted to be very talented, and regardless the fact is that he can rotate the strike and pick up singles in the middle overs, like few of our players can.

and just as ash shouldn't have been shifted around here and there after just 2-3 innings, alok should have a steady 7-8 innings where he can get his feet adjusted.

bangladesh are not australia and so we don't have the luxury of only playing established in form batsman.