2006 Year end Player Evaluation and Beyond – Fan’s Perspective

[Fazal]

Its almost end of year “2006”. Overall it’s a good (if not spectacular) year for Bangladesh. Statistically we improved a lot from last year. However statistics can be deceiving as we mostly played against weaker teams. However there is no doubt in my mind that, due to the inclusion of few new players in the team, we are better off in almost each position with good standby players. Now the team is more balanced and thereby reduced its dependency from few star players to a bunch of good players. Batting is still something to worry about. However bowling wise, they improved a lot. Due to the inclusion of new players, now the fielding is much improved.

Now let’s discuss about all the major players of 2006 and predict their prospective contribution in 2007. We all have certain bias towards/against certain players, therefore please take that into consideration. My evaluation may not be as neutral as you are hoping for. I don't claim to be an expert here, just consider this a regular fan's biased evaluation.

Please feel free to share your own evaluation, so that at the end, collectively we will have a 360 degree evaluation of our players.

Now here is my player by player evaluation:




Habibul Bashar
I am not sure Bashar has regained his form back (after injury). And that is a big concern before the WC2007. Personally I think due to age factor, he may not regain his old form back any time soon. Captaincy wise, he improved a bit, but still his performance is below par. Sometimes his captaincy matches with his personality i.e. he becomes too conservative. That may cost us some games in WC2007. I hope after WC2007, he takes some time off from ODI once in a while and let SN lead few more games. I see 2007 is the year when he retires from ODI.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]



Pilot
Pilot gave us so some great performance in the past. But for a while, he is out of batting form. His wicket-keeping is also not like his old days. I am afraid that due to his age, he may not regain his form back in future. As we never invested our time to build a 2nd wicketkeeper, I am afraid that we may need to bite the bullet for now and play with him up to WC2007. But after that, we definitely need to find two (not one) potential wicketkeepers for our national ODI team. I see 2007 will be end of Pilot's ODI career and 2008 will be end of his TEST career.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]



Shahriar Nafees
2006 is the year when SN distinguished himself from the “boys-club” to the “men’s-club”. At the beginning of the year, he was just another good batsman. Now at the end of the year we can say, he is a great batsman in-making for Bangladesh. I think his marriage (in 2006) will be great stabilizing influence in his career. 2007 is the year where he can check his upper limit how far he can go. The only thing I hope is: he will address is his fielding. Sometimes it looks like he is kind of un-attentive in the field. Otherwise what a great year he had.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Same]



Abdur Razzak
I was never a fan of Razzak. But the way Razzak blossomed in 2006 really amazes me. I agree he played most of the games against weaker teams. But it’s also true for all of the BD players. In 2006, Razzak was one of the top 3 performers for the team. Game-in and game-out he helped the team (with one FB short) with his bowling during power plays as well as the end-of-the-innings. In both cases he was very effective. And that brings more value in the team. During 2006, statistically, he played at-least as good as Rafique. And knowing how good Rafiq is for the team, that’s something, Razzak should be proud of. He has the potential of a decent batsman with good Run Rate. I hope in 2007 he prove himself a good bowling all-rounder: helping with bat if needed and bowling with good Economy Rate.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]


Aftab Ahmed
Aftab is another Bangladesh player with great talent. He is so dominating that, if he doesn't continue to throw his wicket, BD will have many more great innings. Unlike Ash, I still have high hopes for Aftab. As time goes, (I hope) he will rectify his mistake a little bit and produce few more great innings in 2007. I like him batting at #3. I hope selectors don’t tweak his position before WC2007. Just wondering, what happened to his useful and effective ODI bowling? If he bowls 4-5 overs, then we can afford to add Farhad instead of a 3rd Fast Bowlers and minimize Farhad's mediocre overs.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Same]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]



Farhad Reza
In 2006, Farhad’s arrival was a very pleasant surprise. When given opportunity, he held his own with the bat and created pressure to other fellow middle order batsman to perform more to retain their position. His bowling is below par (in general) for the national team. But then again, given opportunity he may turn out to be a very good ODI middle order batsman and a serviceable 5th bowler. Personally I think Forhad was a one of the few bright spots of 2006. Nothing but sky is the limit for him. But will he get the chance in a consistent basis, that's he real question. He is a good fielder also. I think his potential as a middle order batsman is under appreciated and problem with his bowling is over emphasized. Over time he has the potential to be a very good batting all-rounder.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]



Mashrafe Mortaza
Overall very good year for Mashrafe as a bowler. When healthy, he is a world quality bowler. Moreover recently he regained his batting touch (at the end of the year). Now he is our slugger for the last 10 overs of ODI. Time and time again he is making up the slow Run Rate of our batsman with his exploding slog. I hope he can carry his great form in 2007. As a bowler, his striking ability is not in question, but his Economy Rate is kind of high, gives too much runs. He needs to take care of that in 2007. Plus as our #1 bowler, he needs to bowl effectively during the last few overs of the innings.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Same]



Mehrab Hossain jnr
He brings stability in our innings that was lacking for a while. Now we don't have to worry loosing too many wickets during the first 10-15 overs. However I have to admit, even though I haven't given up on Mehrab yet, his lack of good RR is still a concern. Playing against weaker teams and good batting with good RR by SN and Aftab is kind of hiding his weakness for now. Things can get really ugly, when we play stronger teams in future. However I think, given time, he may end up more innings with SR of 60. If not, I think, after WC2007, we may need better alternatives like Sadat or Tamim (who knows when he will be ready?). But no Javed or Rajin please. We have passed that point; no going back to the past. Long term-wise I see Mehrab more as a TEST opener. Mehrab's bowling is another aspect which is not blossomed yet. Think about the possibilities: if he manages to increase his Runt Rate and bowls 5/8 overs as 6th bowlers, it will just open-up another slot (#7) for fulltime batsman.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]



Mohammad Ashraful
Inclusion of new players like Sakib, Farhad and (to some extend) Mehrab not only created pressure for Ash, but it also opened breathing room and opportunity for Ash to bat @ #7 with less pressure. With all these prospective all-rounders, we can add another batsman. And that opens up opportunity for off-from Ashraful. As usual, he had very eventful and roller-coaster year where he shined and hide that forced the selector to temporarily drop him from the squad. But face it, whether you like it or not, Ash will be in the WC2007 team…100% guaranteed. So what we do with him in the team? I think letting him play in #6/#7 (based on if Farhad/Nadif is included) is the best we can do; let him play his natural game between 35-50 overs. He will score some quick 20+ with good Run Rate and some few Not Outs. That will pad his stat and enhance his confidence. As Aftab is batting well and I like Sakib at #4, the best I can think of is Ash batting at #5 or lower. You wouldn't want Aftab and Ash batting one after another, that is recipe for batting collapse. Ash batting at #5 or lower is good for the team as well as good for Ash for short term. Over all, not a good year for Ash; but I hope he is feeling the pressure (from younger players) and realizing that time is running out for him; a bad performance in WC2007, and we will see a lengthy time-off from the team.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Same]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]



Mohammad Rafique
He is a fighter no doubt about that. He contributes in the team one way or another: either with batting or with bowling. His fielding is not that great, but there is no denying that the effort is 100% there. As a bowler, he can still continue for 2-3 more years if he wants. But the good thing is, due to emergence of some few new young spinners, we will be less depended on him to save us single handedly. So let him take rest once in a while. Only one concern I have is, lhe is loosing his batting form recently. We used to rely so much on his batting ability. I hope he regains his (batting) form back. Because, that will give us two excellent sloggers in Mashrafee and Rafiq to end the innings and extend our scores from 240s to 280s. And that will be the difference between loosing versus winning. I hope age is not catching up with him. After WC2007, he should be given more rest and let team create their next Rafiq from the next generation.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Same]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]



Mushfiqur Rahim
I was kind of disappointed the way selectors used Rahim. When he was in better form in summer, he was not given opportunity against Zim and Kenya more. Now that he is out of form, he was given two opportunities out of which he kind of failed to show his batting skills. However his quality wicket keeping surprised every one. Now that Pilot is kind of lost his batting touch, and its unlikely (due to age) that he will regain his batting form back, next year is the year of opportunity for Rahim and other young wicket keepers to take advantage of that. Is Rahim is our next national wicketkeeper? I don't know.... it’s too early to tell... he has the potential.... but nothing is concrete yet. On principle, I always believe that there should be competition for every slot: even for 2nd wicket-keeper. So who is next in the line after Rahim? Too bad it’s not clear to me...
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Incomplete]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]



Nadif Chowdhury
Don't know enough. He came from nowhere as a next batsman on the line waiting for opportunity in the national team. Its too late for WC2007 inclusion. But make no mistake; we will see him in 2007. I hope, like rest of the young players that came recently, he will take full advantage at every opportunity that he gets. If Bashar takes off from ODI or Ash falters, he may get his chance in 2007. But most likely it will be after WC2007. That’s fine with me. At least he will create more pressure to the established middle order batsman like Aftab, Bashar and Ashraful. I have a feeling; at the end of 2007, Nadif will be talk of the town in the same way like Sakib is for 2006.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Incomplete]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]



Saqibul Hasan
I though his inclusion is a little bit of premature. But these kids are well prepared. And thanks to u-19 coaches for preparing them so well. I think we haven’t seen anything yet what Sakib will bring to the team. After confidence building innings, he is playing more confidently with a good Run Rate with less 4s and 6s but relying more in 1s and 2s and rotating the batsman. What a pleasant surprise!!! He may be the best #4 in making that we had for a while. Now we all know so far he mainly played and shined against weaker teams. And when he plays against stronger teams, he will fail a bit and learn a bit. But I have no doubt in my mind; at the end, he will have more success than failure.
Now about his bowling: he started as a below par bowler and quickly became above average bowler. Sakib's bowling will open the opportunity to add another batsman in the ODI team.
I think at the end of 2007 we will see two things: a) Sakib's batting will flourish with good scores with good Run Rate, and b) Very effective bowling for ODI. We know spinners are like wine, with age they gets better. So Sakib’s current bowling doesn't worry me a bit. He will be great all rounder for our ODI team. One more thing, his fielding was excellent in 2006. He is one of the top three fielders of the BD team.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]



Shahadat Hossain
In 2006, Shahadat showed the potential how good he can be in the future. And he grew leaps and bound within a matter of few series early this year. I think he has the potential to be even better than Mashrafee. Shahadat gives the much needed second FBs that the team needed so long. I just hope that he takes care of his extras and Economy Rate when he plays in the ODI. In 2007, I feel Shadhat will further blossom and shine as an excellent FB. Plus if he fine-tune his batting a little bit, that helps us a lot. That will be dream come true kind of scenario.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]


Syed Rasel
I see him as the 3rd FBs in the team, and therefore he should be used when the pitch is Fast Ball friendly or if we need to give rest to Mashrafee or Shahadat. Now I don't expect him to increase his speed, which is below par. However for ODI he can be still be very effective if he is accurate. Plus in future, if he can concentrate on his batting, then he can make a good case to include him as a bowling all-rounder. But nothing so far gives us any indication that he can be a decent all-rounder. So 2007 is a “do or die” year for Rasel.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Same]


Nazmus Sadat
After WC2007 this kid is going to get some exposure. I don’t know how ready he is. But I think, at the end of the year, he will create some positive splash in Bangladesh Cricket. If Mehrab Jr fails in ODI, Nazmus will get a chance sooner than later.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Incomplete]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]



Javed Omar
In 2006, I think we have seen the last of Javed in ODI. And I suspect by 2007, we will see the last of Javed for test. He was great in TEST and served his tour of duty for our national team. We salute him. But I feel, its time for us to acknowledge his contribution and move on; its time to look forward not backward.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]


Rajin Saleh
I have high respect for Rajin, but I am happy that Rajin was not needed that much to the national team this year. And I hope, we will need less of Rajin or players like him in the year 2007. And that’s just tells that how much we have progressed this year. From now on it will be very difficult for players like Rajin (with limited capabilities) to be included in the team. And I am saying that not to demean Rajin, but to elaborate the current talent level of the national team.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]


Alok Kapali:
If you have nothing good to say about a player, I guess the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut. And that’s what I was hoping to do here. But there is som much emotion involved with this player its hard to do that. Sorry I cannot resist myself. Only one thing I have to say: I am so glad that we don't have to go through those same night mares anymore from 2007 and beyond.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]



Tapash Baisya
I don't think he is done yet, specially for ODI. If he can fix his no balls and high Economy Rate problem, he can be very well be our 3rd FBs that we desperately need to keep our FBs fresh. Plus definitely he proved that his can be very good slogger with the bat. If we add him, we are basically enhancing our batting strength. Now the question is: can he effectively bowl? I hope the answer is yes for 2007.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Slightly Up]



Enamul Haque
Definitely he is our future #1 spinner for TEST. But I am hesitant to add him in ODI team. Let him concentrate on TEST in 2007 and prove his merit against stronger teams first. When Rafique retires from ODI, at that point, we may include him in ODI once in a while in spinner friendly pitch.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Incomplete]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]



Manjural Islam Rana
I feel really sorry for this guy. He was dropped even after he produced for the team. And now with the flow of so many new players and yet so many in the wings, I see no chance that Rana will be back in our national ODI team any time soon. Even with this bleak future picture, I hope he doesn't give up hope. Who knows opportunity can come in 2007, and when it comes, I am sure he will take full opportunity of the situation.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Incomplete]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Slightly Down]



Tushar Imran
Whether you guys like him or not, I am pretty sure he is not going to go away in 2007. He will be there knocking the door by performing well in domestic league as well as in team-a. And I have no problem with that. He is still young and relatively speaking was not given opportunity long enough. He was given chance here and there, by bits and pieces. Unfortunately he didn't take advantage of those opportunities. I feel sorry for him, and hope he get some more opportunity in 2007. But as we all know, every day passes, opportunity for these kind of AAAA players (baseball terminology) reduces. I see him a solid backup player for us in near future.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Slightly Up]



Nafis Iqbal
Very disappointed year for Nafis Iqbal. Where one Nafees shined, the other completely vanished from the scene. What a pity. However I think the selectors did the right thing by not trying to force the issue. To me, it’s always better to let the player get the form back in domestic league and team-a instead of trying to regain the form in the national team, specially when the player is young and not yet accomplished. Nafis is young, he still have chance. He can still come back in 2007. But one think we know for sure: this time it's going to be harder to get a chance, as now we have so many players in the pool.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Way Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Uknown]

[TheWatcher]

Front page material

[Beamer]

If you have nothing good to say about Kapali, why bother then putting him up for evaluation? You could have given him the Nafis Iqbal treatment. Not mention him at all. No ?

[Fazal]

Originally Posted by Beamer
If you have nothing good to say about Kapali, why bother then putting him up for evaluation? You could have given him the Nafis Iqbal treatment. Not mention him at all. No ?

Fair enough. Personally there was so much my personal pain and frustration assosiated with Alok that I just couldn't avoid it. Completely forgot about nafis Iqbal. Out of sight out of mind, I guess. I will add that.

[IanW]

A bowling attack of Masrafee, Shahadat, Rafique and one of Rassel or Haque is both balanced and more than good enough for Test cricket.

Ian Whitchurch

[Beamer]

Oh come on Fazal? How could he give you so much pain last year? He rarely played and when he did, he wasn't that bad. He played a nice little knock with Aftab when we chased down Sri Lanka. He even managed a fifty against Zim or Kenya. Didn't he? I personally think that he is not worth mentioning for 2006 based on the amount of matches he actually played. Rana didn't play one game. You should take him out too.

[Rubu]

Fazal, agree with most part on your analysis, and you know where I'm going to disagree. I do not think tushar will be much of a help. He is, in my view, the biggest chocker of bangladesh. if he is to do good in national level, he would need to visit a mental therapist regularly. his problem is not technical, but mental. and with so many new faces coming in, he has very slim chance.

about rana, i still believe he is a much better bowler than razzak (and much better batsman than you-know-who). add to that his fighting characteristic, and you will see he will be back in the team after razzak faces some quality opponents.

[Fazal]

Beamer and all,

The goal of this thread is not to go to and forth betwen Rana/Alok/Ash/ect fans and non-fans and rguing again and again the same ol same ol and thereby drfiting from the topic. Its more with the understanding that each fan have different perspective about each players how they see it and express it in his own way. Therefore please feel free to share with us your own opinion about them (your list of players)

I added all those players that I thought may still end up playing for BD ODI in the year 2007. And I am not sure yet that Javed, Rana, Alok, Pilot, Nafis and Tushar is gone for good. Thats why I added them, even though most likely they all will be non-factor for 2007.

[Beamer]

Rana is not a much better bowler than Razzak. Much better batsmen than who? Enam? Agree.

Are we secretly wishing for Razzak to fall so that Rana can come back to the team? Thats a nice little patriotic team spirit! Razzak held his ground pretty well against WI, Sl ( quality opponents ) and obviously was match winner against lower opponents.

[Beamer]

Fazal..I get you. I will share some opinion about all the players that you have mentioned over the holiday break when I get some time...

[Rihaad The Man]

Bashar is only captain in Bangladesh to win taht many odi for us including a test match as well . So , his captaincy done the part . He doesn't have to bat as we have enough batsmen now including Mashrafe as well . We already seen "Khaled Mashud" messed up in Zimbabwe tour on captaincy .

Fazal bhai you said , Bashar is down .......

Can you name another BD captain with this achievements he has right now ?

If you can't find any then he's the right person to lead BD team as long as he wants .

[al Furqaan]

excellent thread...top class analaysis by fazal tho i disagree with him on a few points.

my soft corner for ash has not subsided, but i 200% understand fazal's frustration with him.

that being said here is my analysis:

S Nafees: his 75 against Australia in debut series shows he can do it big against class opposition. but i am concerned about his sudden infatuation with the 30s after those 3 successive unbeaten tons.
2006 grade: A-
2007 expected: B+ (stronger opponents)

Mehrab Jr: ithink he should replace JO in tests ASAP as well...we have thrown in countless teenagers at the deep end, might as well throw him in as well. only ash and alok have really been ruined (and the jury is out on ash as long). his SR against weak teams is worrying, but countless people (notably DW and SN) have said that his SR is low, but he makes up in the end of innings. plus he has had no reason to score quickly since SN and aftab did at the other end. bottom line is, ODI jury is out, but i would say he is a shoe in for the Test XI.
2006 grade: B-
2007 expected: B

Rajin Saleh: i think he is a shoe in for the Test XI just like mehrab. the number 4 spot is his, and when bashar retires, the #3. technique and mindset is just too good. ODI-wise, he basically is just a spot above JO in the depth chart.
2006 grade: B+ (remember the aussie test series)
2007 expected: B (test team only)

Javed Omar: lets salute a player who helped bring us where we are...but just as Moses never saw the promised land, JO will not see our 1st real Test win. We have just outgrown the shirt, nothing personal against the shirt.
2006 grade: D
2007 expected: D

Bashar:don't expect him to ever amount to anything in the OD game, but integral still in test cricket. our best ever batsman and our best #3. the fact is we can make a much better ODI team w/out him.
2006 grade: C
2007 expected: B-

Ashraful: he could be as great as anyone can imagine, but it looks highly unlikely. i refuse to give up hope untill he is dropped for good (which may be sooner than anyone knows). he is here to stay for at least the next year, however. i feel (and hope) that the emergence of SN, aftab, sakib, mehrab, and farhad will lessen and even remove completely any batting pressure he has (and he had a lot in the past). he should bat #5 or 6 for the forseeable future as this will bring his avg up, and importantly, boost his confidence, and most importantly, help the team post decent totals (all as fazal bhai as already mentioned). i still keep the faith, but he is no longer as important as he used to be.
2006 grade: C
2007 expected: B

aftab: almost as great a talent as ashraful which means he is far ahead of any batsman BD has ever seen including the fellows listed above and below him on this page. i find it easier to have faith in him than ash, as his average dwarfs ashraful's. desperately needs to work on batting against spin and this is his un-talked about weakness. also needs to turn his rapid fire 50s into more controled centuries or at least well played 70s and 80s. i hope he can do realize this and soon.
2006 grade: B
2007 expected: A

sakib: i am quite impressed by this lad. especially his batting...not so sure about his bowling tho it has been sensational against the minnows. has been able to maintain a decent SR as well. i highly dount he is test class tho, at least in the near future...given what seems to be a deficiency in technique.
2006 grade: A
2007 expected: B

forhad: started well enough...good striker, decent avg, but has since lost his way. I join almost everyone else who thinks that his bowling is rubbish, but am one of the few who believes he has no bowling future. he may be a decent para cricket bowler, but for the int'l scene he will get smacked. painfully. but i feel he can dish out just as much pain with his bat, and this is his future.
2006 grade: B
2007 expected: B

Alok: if he gets his act together, i think he can be a great middle overs guy in the ODI game (i don't think he will ever regain a test spot). but its our biggest "if". i realized this whilst debating with Spitfire bhai (i think it was him) and i initially laughed at his assertion that alok was a great middle overs guy. then i checked some scorecards and found out that alok was able to score a great rate with almost nothing but 1s, 2s, and 3s. at present, we have no need for him as both sakib and ash are good MO bats.
2006 grade: no grade
2007 expected: no grade

rafiq: will be a mainstay in lineup tho i favor cutting him from the ODI squad and force him to concentrate on tests to prolong his shelf life as long as possible.
2006 grade: A-
2007 expected: A-

rana: didn't get any chances, sadly...i don't rate him as highly as razzaq tho he is quite close. batting liability unlike razzak who will either score quickly or get out thus enabling someone else to come and hit.
2006 grade: no grade
2007 expected: no grade (doubt he will play)

razzak: amazing stats against minnows and solid againt giants. can hit as well.
2006 grade: A+
2007 expected: B+ (might be a better bowler but most matches will be against giants)

Mash: best all around FB...and along with rafiq our only world class bowler. can be a decent batsman. slog over bowling is his achilles.
2006 grade: A-
2007 expected: A

Shahadat: by the end of the year might be better than mash, but as of now is our 2nd best pacer ever. genuinely quick and ultra-agressive, the world will recognize both him and mash in the next 12 moons.
2006 grade: B
2007 expected: B+

rasel: our ODI 3rd FB will get a fight from tapash and perhaps the new kid Shahzada.
2006 grade: B-
2007 expected: B

tapash: lost his job to shahadat and rasel, and can be at best our 3rd FB but currently is our 4th. may even drop to as low as 5th if Shahzada or Shafaq emerge. cutting back on his NBs and "smack me" deliveries is a must. reminds me of pakistani FB mohammad sami, quick but troubled.
2006 grade: no grade
2007 expected: C

tushar: i believe him to be even more worthless than alok. a player who deserves as much right to be in the playin XI as does athar ali khan. nothing personal against him, in fact i like his attacking style. but he is the biggest practice match player we have, a la rokon. the only reason i mentioned him (i am not enjoying bad mouthin him, tho i don't feel bad either) is because he has inexplicably gotten significant playing time over the last 18 months. in my eyes, he needs a full 2 years of averaging 50+ in both forms of the game in the domestic/A team level before we should consider him for a spot in prelimenary national team squad.
2006 grade: F
2007 expected: F

Enamul Jr: didn't see much of him this year...loads of talent and a bug turner of the ball. but apart from a series against australia wasn't really tested. i have high hopes for the kid, but honestly and i hope i am wrong, i'm afraid he will be a mediocre bowler.
2006 grade: B-
2007 expected: B

[al Furqaan]

forgot enamul jr...added

[Ejaj]

Agreed on most. TO me, I find Enamul got way less oppertunity that what he deserved. Mind it, he is probably the true world class spinner in our team and always looking for wickets. I wish he could get mor chances to play ODI. I also slightly diagree with Rasel. He might have a very good swing in his armour, but, swing at 120 KMH will bring nothing but hammering against better batsman. BD should be looking for another 130 KMH bowler as the third seamer in the ODI.And, please dont bring Taposh. He simply isnt the international standard bowler. He did some great job before and its time to pick better than him. Mehrab looked great defensively, but, his inability to play or make strokes. will create lots of problem playing at international level. Alok and Rajin and Tushar, as u said.. are gone and should not be brought back, specially when u have much better players waiting in the pipe.

[Beamer]

al Furqaan

I don't know if I agree with you completely. I don't think he is a no.3 test bat material. He never was. One of the main ingredients a no.3 has to have is positive intent, a natural strokeplaying ability that will enable the batsman to take the attack to the bowlers, something Bashar has done very well for us in tests. On numerous ocassions, he has bailed us out of torrid situation with his aggressive innings, though he doesn't have the technique that is demanded from that position. He was successful beacuse of his intent and he did it everywhere. You must have that, more so than having impeccable technique. Rajin bats at no.4 or no.5 in tests and he should not bat higher or lower than that. He should play in tests based on his past performances ( against Australia last ) and hasn't done anything to get ditched from the test team yet. I am eager to see him do well outside of Bangladesh, so he can solidify himself in our middle order. I do like the mental aspect of his game though he needs to improve upon his stroke play, which is a bit too limited, and his technique against the moving ball leaves a lot to be desired.

[Flip Master Mick]

whether you all like it or not, rajin saleh and javed omar are still a member of our test team. just a reminder to everybody who are thinking that mehrab jr. and saquib or even aftab and razzaq are automatic choices for the test team.

[layperson]

Originally Posted by Flip Master Mick
whether you all like it or not, rajin saleh and javed omar are still a member of our test team. just a reminder to everybody who are thinking that mehrab jr. and saquib or even aftab and razzaq are automatic choices for the test team.

Dude I dont know about the others but Aftab is a certainty for all forms of the game unless the selectors choose the team the night they smoke up !!!! It would be a murderous crime to drop Aftab from the Bd team in any form of the game !!!!

My personal opinion is Sakib is a very very good batsman and he should also be included in all forms of the game in BD teams. His place should be secured for the next one year unless he performs horribly in the meantime which I do not see happening.

[Kabir]

Fazal bhai,

Agree with almost everything. I've got mixed feelings (just like you I guess) about Syed Russel, as I see this guy with a lot of talent. Given a chance to polish his skills, he will make a great pacer.

I like the respectful comment you have bout Rafiq. I would like to see him more as a bowling coach than a bowler after WC '07.

[Rubu]

Originally Posted by shahriyar
Dude..... the selectors choose the team the night they smoke up !!!!

On a different note, when was the last time they did not make the team without smoking a few joints? I can't even remember them all, but off the top of my head, here is a few blender they already made, so do not bet on what they gonna smoke and then what they gonna do

1. Bring in shanto to play against india.
2. play alok about 100 more chances than he deserved.
3. pushing ash to the opening slot where he never does good.
4. blame ash for not performing there, and then through him out of the team.
5. making few thousands unnecessary changes in the opening slot.
6. many many more...........

[sadi]

Great post Fazal bhai. Funny how I agree with you in almost every single players. Just want to mention, Kapali wasn't that bad this year and performed okay whenever he got a chance but I am happy with the current team and how they are performing. It will be almost a crime to rate Rana higher than Razzak in terms of bowling. I totally agree how you saw Ash's situation. He really look natural at number 6 and can play without any pressure. I will leave him there for a while and then maybe promote him at number 5 but maybe finally, we've found a right spot for him.

As much as I like Rajin for his hard work and determination, he is no number 3 in test team for Bangladesh. I've always felt Aftab should bat at number 3 as he has the right technique to face any fast bowler and can take the attack to the opposition. Eventhough some people are mentioning how Golla and Rajin are still in the test team, just want to say they are still in the team because we haven't played one in nearly a year. By the time, we play our next test match, Sakib and Mehrab will get a place by default. I hope so.

Again, great post. Definately a front page material. Cheers!!!

[Ahmed_B]

Nice hard work Fazal!

[Spitfire_x86]

Good analysis, but in few cases I disagree.

Farhad Reza:
Bowling is useless, not good enough even to be a regular #5 bowler against good sides. Ability to play substantial innings is not proven yet. If he wants to be regular in the Test/ODI side, he has to compete for a place of batsman.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Same]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Unknown]

Sakib
By no means a #4 batsman, in bowling so far only good against minnows. It's very hard to tell what will he become within next couple of years. One thing is certain, he's no (insert your favorite allrounder here) in the making.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Unknown]

Mehrab jnr
He wasn't supposed to be a great ODI opener anyway. Has slimmer chance to do well in ODIs against better teams. But in tests his temperament will be useful.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: No change]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

[Rubu]

Habibul Bashar
I would like to see him disappear from the ODI team in 2007. He can still be in the test team at #3 but not as a captain. I have never been a fan of his captaincy, and would like to see a end to it. Let the new generation begin with SN the captain.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]

Pilot
It is almost time we show our respect for a veteran and great fighter. This old horse has served the team for a long time. The key word here is 'old', his age is catching up and the sooner we replace him the better.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Out of Business]

Shahriar Nafees
Of course he cannot keep up this 40+ average in 2007, but he will still be the top scorer in 2007. So, his stock will only go up.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Abdur Razzak
I see lots of people compare him with rafique. Rafique has never been too good in ODI. May be some day he will impress me, but so far I have not seen anything from this guy to say that he is gonna keep his place in the team in 2007.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]

Aftab Ahmed
We are yet to see the best from this guy. Only if he is not screwed by Faruq and co, and not forced to leave his natural game, he will only go up and up.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Same]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Farhad Reza
Did not see anything from him to say that he is gonna be a member of the team in 2nd half of 2007. Given the lack of patience of selectors if he does not do good in next few matches, he might just be gone (unless 'someone' share faruque's sheep picture with him, in that case he will stay does not matter what). However, he has the potential, and might just stick in.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Same]

Mashrafe Mortaza
Apart from his choking at the end in Zim, he had a great year. If captain utilizes him better and make sure he is not having too much mental pressure, he will only go up.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Mehrab Hossain jnr
To be fair, he has disappointed me so far. But I have seen only so little of him. I would say, he will disappear for once very soon, and then come back again when he is ready. What will happen to him depends almost entirely on selectors. If they screw him up like many other, he will be screwed and out of the team in no time.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: New share in market]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Unknown]

Mohammad Ashraful
Love him and hate him, he is not about to disappear from the scene anytime soon. He had a bad year, but I do blame selectors a lot form that. If he is given the time to settle down at his position at #5, he will go up.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Same]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Mohammad Rafique
It is so hard to tell what is going to happen. My gut feeling says, his days are numbered, but he has this characteristic, that is the no. 1 requirement to be my favorite: fighting spirit. that is one quality to change any calculation, and I'll say, rafique will be at the top of his form until he retires.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Same]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Mushfiqur Rahim
I have been disappointed with him so far. He had the easiest ride into the national team, still failed to utilize on it. I still think he is the long term solution, but I get the feeling we'll have someone else to fill in the gap between him and pilot.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: New share in market]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Unknown]

Nadif Chowdhury
I have no clue
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Unknown]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Unknown]

Saqibul Hasan
Best prospect among the newbies. I think he will stick in the team.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Shahadat Hossain
Need to learn how to control the speed and create variation. He still has a lot to learn, but has a long way to go as well.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Syed Rasel
I do not see much hope for him, sorry.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Up]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Down]

Nazmus Sadat
No clue
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Patent Pending]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Unknown]

Javed Omar
He is out from ODI, and would like to see him out of test team in 2007.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Out of business]

Rajin Saleh
A fighter, and therefore, came here to stay. He was not given enough chances. When given the chances, he did utilize it, but since he does not have those sheep pictures, he is not getting his fair share. regardless, a fighter will always find his way in.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Same]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Alok Kapali:
You never know how much a sheep picture can buy, so I don't know what will happen to him. When it was more than clear that he is not eligible for 12th man in A-team, he regularly played in national team, so I can't predict.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Unknown]

Tapash Baisya
Under rated than his ability. I don't know how people forgot those days so easily when he was the sole fighter of our pace attack. He in my mind, is almost same as rasel (rasel gets the advantage of being leftie). I'll switch between these two if a 3rd seamer is needed.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock:Up]

Enamul Haque
He is a automatic choice for test, and need to give some more exposer in ODI. He is probably the 2nd best spinner of the country after rafique. His batting inability will give rana the edge over him in ODI. So, him for test and rana for ODI.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Incomplete]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Manjar Rana
Copy the text for Rajin in here. Unlucky not to have sheep picture, but a fighter who is not going to give up, and therefore will be back in sooner than most of you think.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Incomplete]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Up]

Tushar Imran
Few more centuries and double centuries for A-team, and again single digit score for national team. Only a good shrink can help him out of his. I do not see that is happening.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Out of business]

Nafis Iqbal
Dhormotay 4 ta biya kora jaej. Unless he takes advantage of that, I don't know where he will end up. A very sad story. He started with so much promise, and disappeared so quickly. BCB should work on him to get him back in form. Those two nafis can be the perfect opening pair for bangladesh.
[Year-end 2006 Stock: Way Down]
[Predicted 2007 Stock: Uknown]

[SS]

Evalution of 2006 is already done by ICC! Based on their ranking table we have few emerging cricketers already in top 20 and few in top 50. I prefer overall evaluation of the team and success, so overall team improved a lot from prior year.
It's easy to evaluate based on the data, than to really make it happen. I am little optimistic that 2007 they will produce some better result, not necessarily just winning certain series similar to last two ones. But making impression to the big teams that we can play! I think,the respect of other teams and willingness to play us, matters more than just grading, ranking. Obviously, these success matters and will give us satisfaction, but additionally we need to bring and earn respect of other teams, so that they take our challenge, recognize our evaluation, improvements, and recent success.

[al Furqaan]

had a couple other notable misses...

Mashud: had a dissappointing year no doubt. but just like JO, bashar, and other oldguard players, he has limitations. like bashar his ODI utility is extremely doubtful. i favor the immediate inclusion of rahim even for the WC. in test matches, we need to phase rahim in, as pilot's batting is less of a liability in the longer version game.
2006 grade: D-
2007 expected: D

M Rahim: keeping was surprisingly impressive. batting not so much. still i would favor his inclusion in place of pilot because our net loss is 0 short term, and we can only gain long term. he is definitely not ready for test cricket yet.
2006 grade: C (keeping, A)
2007 expected: C