(My) Team for the first Practice Match

[Rubu]

The first practice match start in about 40 hours. I know some of us were trying to get the team for the first test, but i think its too early. First we've to come up with the team for the first practice match.

in my opinion this match should have the most experimental. the second one is somewhat experimental and the third match is as close to the playing 11 as possible. During the practice match we should not take any risk of getting injured on our key players. specially mashrafee who are vulnerable to injury.

here is what i think the team should be. feel free to give your input and when the team is announced, please post it here.

Team:

• Javed Omar
• Shahrier Nafis
• Nafees Iqbal
• Rajin Saleh
• Mohammad Ashraful
• Aftab Ahmed
• Mushfiqur Rahim
• Taposh Baisha
• talha Jubair
• Enamul Jr
• Shahadat Hossain

Suman, Rafique and Mashrafee all of them are more or less injury prone and sure to play. So, I think 1-2 Practice matches are enough for them. No need for the first practice match.

Edited on, May 8, 2005, 6:35 PM GMT, by Zunaid.

[FaltuRidwanBhai]

who is going to be the captain of this team. rajin ash mushfiq or enamul?

[Mahir]

rajin can lead that team. and yes, a good team to field against the Brit Universities.

[Rubu]

I'd say ash is the captain because rajin is not really able to take the pressure of captain if we consider the ICCT.

it would be better to drop one of talha or shahadat for 2nd test and pick munir for it. and if enamul does not get anything to show, replace him with rafique.

[shovon13]

i like your team, except i'd drop tapash for munir. since this team should be the most experimental, i should try out munir on this one too. tapash is pretty much a certainty for the final xi anyways.

[mahbubH]

Aftab is less likely to play the first match. Source in Bengali

[feisal]

I think the team will depend heavily on the plan about the next two matches. Traditionally, the touring team fields the possible team in the last TOUR match.. are we also planning to do that?

Overall, we are only unsure of two positions (opener and third seamer). We will have to play JO and Shahriar Nafees in first two matches..and also Talha/Rajib in first two matches.. There is one catch though... arguably the opposing bowlers of the first match might be of little subpar. and in England there is another caveats.. many days will be lost due to rain!!!! that is the worst.

so, under these boundary conditions, Agent's team make sense.. may be in the second match either ashraful or rajin will make room for Shumon, and enamul for rafique and pilot has to play.. another minor point is that may be Shahriar Nafees should go at one down..

cant wait for the match to start..

[Musfique]

Even tho..some of the players like masree, and Rafique are guranteed in the starting line up, they still need match practice in alien conditions. Just because they are in the team does not mean this practice matches aren't important to them.

So no need to make too many changes in every practice match,
Just enough to make sure everyone has feel for the conditions, especially the ones who are going to take to the field on 26th of May at Lords.

[Rubu]

Originally posted by Musholini
So no need to make too many changes in every practice match,
Just enough to make sure everyone has feel for the conditions, especially the ones who are going to take to the field on 26th of May at Lords.

thats the plan. but to make sure everyone has the feel for the condition, we need to play 16 members 11 at a time for 3 times. see if we do not play all 16 of them in the practice matches, there is no point taking them to england. since we are taking 16 of them not 11 it is important to know before hand the actual matches that who will be able to do what. practice matches are for that. first practice match will create the team for 2nd. 2nd for 3rd and ideally we would like to play the same team of 3rd match to the actual test.

[Sham]

The thing is, if we could be certain of getting 9 days of practice matches, I would pick exactly Agent's team for the Fenner's match.

But the problem is, in England in May, it is just as likely that our next two practice games are washed out, then what do we do? Even if half the days are washed out, we will be really screwed if one of our guaranteed players didn't get a proper bat or a good spell out in the middle. This is something to think about. Just because we have three matches schedules doesn't mean that we will get three matches. We might end up getting two, or even one!

Looks like the three days in Cambridge will be rain free, so I think its worth thinking about giving some of our main bowlers a go, in case the subsequent matches get washed out.

If we can be certain of getting 2 more rain free games (don't know how we can be certain), then I agree with Agent's team!

[FaltuRidwanBhai]

that was the thing i was also thinking about. because england weather is not stable. but hopefully we will get atleast 6-7 days in total. i think agents team is fine. and i think anyone can be the captain. i dont think it is a big problem. because its not a big deal anyway.

[Sham]

Yeah, guess there is no point second guessing the weather! We'll just have to hope for the best and if the weather screws us over, then tough!

[FaltuRidwanBhai]

well i dont mind if the weather screws in the first test. it will be more disappointing for them then us.

[Rubu]

Did not take weather into consideration when forming the team neither had i idea that the weather could be that bad. thanks for pointing that out sham.

but now that we know it, what we do? don't see any easy solution.

Rajin can lead the team in England no way for Rajin but Ashraful can . Can't forget about Rajin's captaincy record in England . Less than 100 runs in ICC against South Africa . Pilot has to play ......

[feisal]

also, may be it is more important to maximize the opportunity ( giving tose nine the practice) than minimizing threat ( choosing for those two positions).... so to diffrentiate between JO/S.Nafis and talha/rajib is LESS imp, mor imp is to make sure that the big guns get the practice... also, to get the confidence going..

my previous post was also more towards minimizing risk..

[PoorFan]

Beside practice, BD definitely needs to win these practice match also. We should keep it in mind that too.
I like Agent's team, could be better if Mashrafee plays instead of Talha/Shahadat, if we go for a must win.

[TheWatcher]

Even if BD team gets all three practice matches rain free, according to Gaurdian, they still have too few days to adjust to English early summer condition. In my opinion, all probable four frontline bowlers for the 1st test (Mashrafee, Tapash, Rajib/Talha) should start working on their line and length from this match, even if that means we are going in the match with one batsman less. I don't think our batters going to learn much from playing those amatures.

I would also include Pilot in this match. Regardless how experienced he is, he needs lots of practice keeping in bouncy seaming pitches.

So, my team is-

1. Shahriar Nafees
2. Nafees Iqbal
3. Rajin
4. Ash
5. Aftab
6. Pilot
7. Mashrafee
8. Tapash
9. Talha
10. Rajib
11. Enamul

Edited on, May 9, 2005, 6:05 AM GMT, by TheWatcher.

[Zobair]

just summing up what most of you have already said!

IMO, objectives that have to be kept in mind when selecting the side for the practice matches:

1. The team in the final practice match should be ideally the one that is playing the first test match.
2. Give all the players who are likely to feature in the test matches at least two practice games to get their eyes in, and get used to the conditions. Exceptions to the two practice match rule: The team's best batsman (Bashar), the team's best Pace bowler (Mashrafee) and the first choice wicket-keeper (Pilot).
3. Let every one have a fair shot at staking a claim for a place in the first eleven.

Therefore we have the first two practice matches to give all the hopefuls an opportunity to prove their mettle.

Thats brings us to the first practice match against the British Universities. Brit. Uni. is probably the weakest opposition in the practice matches. I would like to see the "futures team" represent us in this match. So the team I would like to see take the field that day is:

Nafis Iqbal
Shahriyar Nafees
Mohammad Ashraful
Rajin Saleh
Aftab Ahmed
Habibul Bashar
Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper)
Mashrafee Murtaza
Talha Jubair
Shahadat Hossain Rajib
Enamul Haque

Notes:
1) Bashar should play the first match because he will provide stability and ensure we get off on the right foot. Also he can observe the hopefuls from up close. He can be rested in the second practice match.

2) Rajin Saleh, Ashraful Nafis, Nafees (opener/middle order) and Aftab should play all th matches if possible. They are young and they will benefit vastly from the experience.

3) The main pacers should play in the first match. The pressure will be at a minimum and they can gradually ease themselves back without putting undue stress on themselves. Mashrafee and Taposh can alternate between the first two matches to lend experience to the pace attack.

[FaltuRidwanBhai]

jaihok,
ami kintu mone kori prothom match ar squad kichuta holeo shoktishali thaka uchit. ai muhurte jemon ache sheta kintu khub kharap noi. eta jodio practice match tobuo amar mote prothom match a akta bhalo folafol kora uchit ete kore confidence ta barbe. akdom akta unexperienced team namano thik na prothom match a tahole jodi hare tahole confidence kintu tader kome jabe jeta pore probhabe felte pare bole ami mone kori. prothom match a bashar ar khela uchit. ete kore akta bhalo team spirit gore uthbe. onnanno match a take khelanor proyojon nai bole mone kori. amar mote odhinayok hishabe amon akjonke kora uchit jar obostha team a motamoti sthayi. orthat ami chai na je enamul kingba nafees kingba mushfiqur ke odhinayok kora hok. karon ete kore tader upor barti akta chap ashte pare jar jonno hoito tara nijeder shabhabik khelata thik moton khelte parbe na. jaihok akhon pompous bhai tini jai squad nirbachon korechen sheta kintu ami bolbe je balanced akti dol. dannabad.

[bourny3]

I like your team Agent smith.

[cricketboy]

I think Pilot and Habibul should atleast play 2 of these practice matches. :duh:

Edited on, May 9, 2005, 8:02 AM GMT, by cricketboy.

[Sham]

I think all the players who play in the Test matches should play atleast two matches, including Bashar and Mashrafe. Like someone said, its more important to give the players who are sure to play some good match practice than to waste three games trying to figure out our two uncertain players!

I like Pompous' team but I don't think Bashar needs to play. Better to give Javed Omar a chance early. As for Mashrafe and Taposh, it doesn't matter who plays in the first match as long as one of them plays. It will be better for the youngsters as well.

Aftab not playing according the news he got sick so Nafees can have a go against the uni .

[Sam]

FRB, we should take the practice match as a practice match. If we don't try our new guns in the new conditions in practice match and field a stronger team, then when we shall field them? I don't mind a draw. A draw in three-day match is normal. Moreover, it looks like that the first opponent is the weakest among the 3 teams. That means we can only take chance with less regular players only in the first match.
Regular and class players like Habib, Mash, Rafiq, Masud etc. will not be benifitted by playing against weaker team. On this context, Agent's team looks good with a change or two.