Mackay: Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has backed wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das despite his three consecutive ducks in the drawn Test series against Australia, saying the experienced batter remains a vital cog in the team.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Liton failed to open his account in all three innings he played during the series, but Shanto said he would not judge the 30-year-old solely on his recent scores. "Liton has played some great innings recently, so I am not judging him with these three zeros. I still think he is very effective for his batting team at number six," Shanto said at a press conference after Bangladesh's innings and 51-run defeat to Australia in the second and final Test in Mackay today.
"In such conditions, anyone can get out even if he is good. We know his capabilities. He has a great influence on the Bangladesh Test team. I am hopeful that he will bounce back in the next series," Shanto added.
Initially though Liton was not drafted into the squad for the first Test in Darwin, he recovered swiftly to make himself available for both Tests. "Unfortunately he couldn't score as per his own expectation and also as per our expectation but that doesn't mean that he was not in good shape. He tried his best to serve the team as he did always. Hopefully, he will get back amongst runs very soon," Shanto concluded.