Soumya yet to get rid of bad patch
Sports Reporter
At some point it was inevitable that the prolonged poor form would force him to hit new low. And it came on a day when he needs some runs badly to stop the vocal critics. Rather on his 17th ODI match and the first match against Afghanistan yesterday, Soumya Sarkar finally became out on naught, further prompting the critics to question his place in the team.
Soumya started the international career as one-down batsman and his audacious batting during the 2015 World Cup made him permanent in the team. He was then promoted in opening slot with Tamim Iqbal, an opportunity that he grabbed with both hands. He further stamped his authority with some blistering knocks including a majestic century against Pakistan.
Since his match-winning scores in the ODI series against South Africa last year, Soumya Sarkar however lost the way. By then his strike was over 100 and average was over 50, something which a rare for a Bangladeshi batsman. But thereafter he has averaged just 17.82 in 49 matches in all competitive cricket, including the Asia Cup T20, World T20 and domestic competitions.
The team management however still kept faith on him. But he failed drastically to pay it off. He played just three balls before getting out in the opening over, leaving Bangladesh 1-1. Though his dismissal hardly affected the side, his shot selection definitely angered skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and head coach Chandika Hathurusingha. He chose to pull in a short-pitched delivery when he was not in the zone to hit.
