Dhaka: Opener Zakir Hasan has expressed his determination to secure a permanent place in Bangladesh’s ODI cricket team, should he be given the chance in the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Despite being a familiar face in the longer format of the game, Zakir has had limited opportunities in ODIs, though many believe his skills are well-suited for white-ball cricket.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Zakir has played only one ODI match, which was against New Zealand in Mirpur in 2023, where he scored a solitary run. His inclusion in the squad is primarily due to Liton Das’s illness. If all goes as planned, Zakir is likely to open the innings against Afghanistan, and he is confident about addressing the team’s opening challenges by delivering his best performance.
“We want to play as a team. I know a good start from the top order batters is badly needed if we want to do well against Afghanistan,” Zakir stated before departing for the UAE with his team
mates. Bangladesh’s recent performances have been mixed, having had a successful series in Pakistan but subsequently faltering against India and South Africa due to irresponsible batting from the top order.
Zakir believes that the ODI format could provide Bangladesh with the confidence to regain their form, expressing his hope that the team will perform well in the upcoming matches. “In Test format, our openers couldn’t do well and that’s the reason for our downfall. But another series is coming up and it’s ODI, a format which we always play well. Hopefully things will go as per our expectation,” he said.
Originating from Sylhet, Zakir is focused on identifying and rectifying the team’s mistakes. “We all are trying to find out where the mistakes lied. We need to fix those errors. Hopefully, we’ll overcome the problems and our top order will come back to form to give us a good start,” he remarked.
The Bangladesh team has recently seen a change in coaching staff, with Chandika Hathurusinghe replacing Phil Si
mmons before the South Africa series. Despite the limited time to acclimate, Zakir remains optimistic about the team’s prospects under Hathurusinghe’s guidance. “He came with short notice and got very little time. He is still watching the cricketers. Hopefully, we will get more from him in the future,” Zakir added.
Acknowledging Afghanistan’s reputation as a formidable opponent, Zakir expressed readiness to face the challenge. “Challenges are definitely there but I think it will be a very good series. As far as I know Sharjah wickets are very good. Hopefully, we’ll play well and as a team, we will try to improve match by match,” he concluded.