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Old March 28, 2005, 04:37 AM
Sham Sham is offline
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Join Date: October 15, 2002
Location: London, UK
Posts: 3,070

I don't want to captain the Rana-haters camp, largely because it implies something which is untrue: that I hate Rana! Red Cherry writees 'Very determined mediocre player....good for current National team which lacks application.' I couldn't agree more. Like him or "hate" him, I think both camps will agree that we are only going on and on and on with this Rana debate because the rest of our players have not applied themselves properly. Ashraful, Rajin, Nafees, Aftab should really have averages which are in the mid 30s, but only Bashar is there now. Therefore, Rana's average in the mid 20s makes him a batsman by BD's standards.

Anyway, like I said, I don't hate the guy. I just don't think he is a batsman. You have to give him points for grit and determination and for using his limited skill to the fullest. I saw him bat in all four innings against India in the Test matches, and even in the innings in which he scored sixty odd, he came across to me as a gritty tail-end batsman who really put a price on his wicket and refused to budge. Doesn't have the shots or the fluency of a batsman, but applies himself well. When I read people trying to make him into an opener or stuff like that, I really wonder if we are talking about the same player that I've watched play.

Anyway, if Rana gets into the team, he will on the strength of his own performance. What I think hardly matters anyway, which is why I don't understand why the pro-Rana camp gets so worked up about it. But no points for guessing in which category I voted, good for ODIs, doesn't really have a place in my Test team!
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