After a resounding Test debut, left-handed top order batsman Shadman Islam is eager and busy to bring his batting to the next level ahead of the one-off Test series against Afghanistan beginning on September 5 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the port city of Chattogram, reports UNB.
Shadman, a 24-year-old batsman, believes Bangladesh are not losing their sleep thinking much about the spin attack of Afghanistan, especially of Rashid Khan, who are admired all over the world for their variation. But, Shadman said on Thursday that Bangladesh are not thinking much about Rashid Khan as well.
“We have no special thinking about Rashid because we’re a regular Test-playing nation. There’s a big difference between bowling in the shorter format of the game and Test cricket. We play spinners better than many teams. So, I don’t think we have to think much about Rashid or his colleagues,” Shadman told reporters on at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
“We play many world-class spinners during the Dhaka Premier League. But the Afghans spinners are slightly better than them. So, if we play them with a bit of extra care, there’ll be no problem. We have to be careful about their variation. Rashid and Mohammad Nabi are capable of bowling for a long time keeping their variation,” he added.
Shadman got his Test cap last year against West Indies, and in the first match, he struck a fifty. The southpaw was facile in the middle as he always remains in the First-class cricket.
He played 46 First-class matches till the date and accumulated 3299 runs at an average of 45.81 with seven centuries and 18 fifties. He is one of the batsmen who have been doing exceptionally well in the domestic circuit over the years. Due to his consistency, the selectors awarded him the Test cap when Tamim Iqbal was out of action last December.
Tamim is out of action again to rest from playing an excessive amount of cricket, and Shadman is again set to take the challenge to open the innings for the Tigers.
“I always try to play my natural game. I didn’t get the company of Tamim bhai when I started off my career back in last December. I opened the innings with Soumya (Sarkar) bhai. So, I’m ready for it again. I’ll try to play as I always do,” Shadman also told the reporters.
The selectors are now busy to finalise the squad for the solitary Test against Afghanistan. Some high sources close to the selectors confirmed that the team will be announced on August 30 or 31. After the Test, the Tigers will face Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in a tri-series T20.