Bangladesh’s rising star Litton Das insists that the absence of Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal is not a deterrent for Bangladesh cricket. The two senior players have not been part of Bangladesh’s two biggest Test wins. Shakib and Tamim missed the recent Test series against Afghanistan where Bangladesh registered their biggest win in their Test history. Considering their injuries and age, their place in the Bangladesh Test squad is not guaranteed. Das is ready to accept the reality, insisting that the team that played against Afghanistan is their best Test XI at the moment.
Das said, If they had played, it would have been good but it is not a fact that we cannot make a comeback without them. In the pipeline and in the batting order, we are improving, and the new guys are capable. Bangladesh recently trounced Afghanistan by a massive 546-run margin in the one-off Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Das, who took over the captain’s armband from Shakib for the Afghanistan Test, enjoyed his temporary role. However, he is not ready to make long-term plans as he is well aware that it was just a stop-gap arrangement. He is hoping Shakib will return soon to lead the team again.
Das was impressed by the improvement shown by the Bangladeshi pace unit. He stated, Our pace unit is improving day by day. If you look at the pitch map, you will know many things…Our work ethic in practice has changed…If the bowling unit continues like that and people keep watching, more and more pacers will come through slowly.
Bangladesh will play their next Test series in the World Test Championship, where they finished at the bottom of the points table in the last two editions. Das is optimistic that the team can take the confidence from their win against Afghanistan into the next cycle of the championship.
