Mortaza shared his surprise at the assessment process used to adjudicate against Taskin. © Getty
The usually chirpy Bangladeshi bunch congregated briefly before the session for a team talk before breaking out to respective drills. Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Sabbir Rahman led the batting unit in the outdoor nets while Mortaza, the skipper, attempted to infuse the session with some enthusiasm. The Bangladeshi captain, however, made no attempts to mask the disappointments of the unexpected turn of events when he fronted the media at the end of a rather uneventful practice session.
"If two of the boys at home are in some sort of trouble, you can't focus on your work. You will be dispirited. It's like that with us now. If you look at us, you can tell. But we will still try to get on to the ground with the same spirit as before," Mortaza said on Sunday (March 20).
Taskin and left-arm spinner Sunny were reported for suspect actions following Bangladesh's eight-run win over Netherlands in a qualifying match in Dharamsala on March 9. According to ICC's protocols, they underwent an independent assessment in Chennai, and were allowed to continue bowling in international games until the result of the tests, made public yesterday, found them guilty of flouting the bowling action regulations, thereby leading to immediate suspensions.
The loss of the in-form Taskin, particularly in the continued injury absence of Mustafizur Rahman, was a bitter pill to swallow for Mortaza. The 20-year-old pacer was impressive in Bangladesh's defeat of Pakistan and Sri Lanka enroute their run to the final of the Asia Cup - his three wickets coming at a measly economy of 5.75. Even in their World T20 Super 10 opener at the Eden Gardens, one in which Pakistan scored over 200 on a flat track, Taskin returned admirable figures of 2 for 32. The timing of the suspension, right in the middle of a campaign, has left Bangladesh with little to no time to reassess their strategies.
"He is someone who has given us very good starts in our last few matches. Whenever we have won, Taskin has had a big role to play. He has been outstanding all over the world," Mortaza said. "His economy is less than six. It is a big blow. Sunny, too, has been bowling well in the qualifiers and in the last match as well. It (suspension) is shocking for us, and we will now have to rethink our strategies.
"We believe Taskin's bowling action is alright and are very upset with the decision. The timing is bad for us, because it's difficult to deal with this in the middle of the World Cup. If the replacements (Shuvagata Hom and Saqlain Sajib) had been with us even two days back, we could have done something. But they got off the flight this morning and came straight to practice."
Mortaza also shared his surprise at the assessment process used to adjudicate against Taskin. Mustafizur Rahman Khan, a supreme court lawyer in Bangladesh, create a furore on social media late last night over alleged inconsistencies in the action tests. According to the lawyer - the report against Taskin after the Netherlands game stated concerns over his action while bowling the bouncer. The independent test supposedly required Taskin to bowl nine bouncers, three of which were deemed illegal leading to suspension. However, the Bangladeshi captain revealed that Taskin hadn't bowled any bouncers during the said match.
"Taskin was reported after a match. The tests were done accordingly. We have gone through the footage - not a single delivery in that match was illegal. How can he be suspended then? There were some issues during the testing. Not with his full-length deliveries but with his bouncers. But we have seen that he didn't bowl any bouncers in that game. Do you still suspend him?" Mortaza quizzed.
"We believe Taskin's bowling action is alright and are very upset with the decision," said Mortaza. © Getty
"Mustafizur is getting better. Coming off that injury is not easy. But even if he is 20 percent fit, he has to play, as we don't have any options. He could play a supporting role to the main bowler against Australia," Mortaza said. "The two replacements who have flown in are very much capable. But the point is that someone who is in form in international cricket, and someone who is coming into international cricket - these are two different things. We can't put the new guys under pressure. We just hope they can contribute as well as they can. I'm sure Hom and Sajib will surely do their best."
Mortaza hoped that the latest setback in Taskin's injury-ravaged fledgling international career was only a minor blip and that his protege would return to action soon but the experienced campaigner allowed himself a philosophical moment as he sought to describe the vibe in the team ahead of the Australia fixture.
"I have seen a lot in life, so it's probably easier for me to accept this," he said. "But right now, we are talking about one of the most promising young fast bowlers of our country, someone who we think will serve us for the next ten years... At the moment it is very difficult to understand them and tell them that everything will be alright. As a group, the coaching staff and players, are helping them cope. All that we can wish and pray is they come out stronger and fight it out and come back and play for Bangladesh.
"The best we can do is make a statement on the field. I want us to perform well tomorrow. But the question remains... whether we are happy with what's happened and what we are feeling. And there is a system. We can't work outside the system. Our minds are in one place but we will have to go and play elsewhere," he summed up.source cricbuzz
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