Tigers’ bowling badly lacking bite

This has been building up for a while now. Ever since Taskin Ahmed got selected into the Test side for the tour of New Zealand, only to get injured in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in late January.

The lack of quality fast bowlers, and the need to shoehorn anyone that can bowl around 140 kmph has been of utmost importance by the management and by the fans too ahead of the World Cup in England, in conditions that would fare better for the faster bowlers.

However, Taskin didn’t perform, or get adequate chances to perform after coming back from injury, whereas Abu Jayed Rahi did in the tri-series against Ireland and Windies in May, and he got picked for the World Cup.

But Rahi doesn’t bowl at 140 kmph either. He’s around ten clicks slower, but he can swing it.

He hasn’t been given a game in the World Cup yet.

A player who fans and people in the cricketing fraternity has been wanting in the starting XI is Rubel Hossain.

He’s an out and out fast bowler with over a decade of international cricket experience and fans have been clamouring for his inclusion, ever since Bangladesh lost a close encounter against New Zealand, where someone that could bowl out the tail was required.

He did finally get his chance against Australia at Nottingham on Thursday. But as fate would have it, he was the most expensive bowler conceding 83 runs in nine overs at a 9.22 economy.

In fact, all of the fast bowlers went at seven or more runs per over.

Captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza went for 56 runs from eight overs with an economy of 7.00.

Mustafizur Rahman went for 69 runs in nine overs with an economy of 7.66.

And Soumya Sarkar, a part-time medium-fast bowler was the one that took the most wickets here - three - but also went for 58 runs in eight overs with an economy of 7.25.

Then there is the fact that Bangladesh have conceded 300 runs in five of the six games so far.

This bowling attack has conceded two 380+ scores too and have understandably lost both games, against two of the strongest teams Australia and England.

The batting has scored 300-plus to win two games and has been the biggest positive for the Tigers as they are so far the only team to chase a total over 300 in this World Cup.

Unfortunately, the bowling hasn’t delivered and it’s quite evident that the fast bowlers have not been good enough as they have bowling economies over six.

Even the top wicket-taker for Bangladesh, who was out with an injury against Australia, Mohammad Saifuddin (nine wickets) has an economy of 7.29 after bowling 34 overs in four games and conceding 248 runs.

Mashrafe, despite being the best captain Bangladesh has ever had, has struggled with form, taking just one wicket from 37 overs and conceding 242 runs at an economy of 6.54.

He has struggled to find his bowling combinations with the new ball.

Mustafizur Rahman has done well during the death overs in phases but with the new ball he has been wayward and bereft of ideas.

Which is why the left-armer has gone for 318 runs from 44.1 overs at an economy of 7.2.

In fact, the only two bowlers to concede under six runs per over have been spinners.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz has bowled 49 overs, the most by any Bangladesh bowler, and conceded 274 runs at an economy of 5.59.

The right-arm off-spinner also took five wickets and his role to bowl in the middle overs seems to be fixed and the only bowling plan that’s working.

The part-time off-spin of Mosaddek Hossain has also been bowled for 22 overs in four games and he’s the other spinner to concede an economy of 5.95.

Even the number one all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has been in mesmeric form with the bat has not been great with the ball. He has gone for 272 runs in five games at an economy of 6.18.

The issue though is still with fast bowling and finding that fast bowler that can trouble batsmen with pace and take wickets regularly.

The top wicket-takers in this World Cup are all genuine fast bowlers whereas Bangladesh have been the only side to be lacking in a genuine quick, that can take wickets regularly.

Maybe Rubel will come good in the future games. The same can be said about Mustafiz, Mashrafe and Shakib, who have all performed below expectations.

But time is running out for the Tigers. They have three games remaining - Afghanistan, India and Pakistan - and for those last two encounters, the bowling will have to be much better than what it has been to win all three and stand a chance of making it to the semi-finals.

Left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal, who scored his first half-century this World Cup still believes that reaching the semis is possible and that Bangladesh can do it.

"I think we still have a chance," Tamim said, when asked if Bangladesh were now aiming to finish at No. 5, as the best of the rest. "I don't think any of my team-mates are thinking along those lines. We have a chance if we win three matches. If God forbid we don't have anything to play for, then we will think about No. 5," Tamim explained in the post-match press conference.

But if that doesn’t happen, and the bowling doesn’t improve, the fingers will be pointed at these performances and if Bangladesh should have also included another fast bowler in Taskin Ahmed.