Bangladesh pacer Ebadot Hossain to miss Australia tour
Dhaka, July 23
Bangladesh will be without their key fast bowler Ebadot Hossain in the two-Test series against Australia next month as the pacer is ready to welcome his first child.
The Asian side are scheduled to take on Australia in a two-match Test series that commences in Darwin on August 13 as part of the ongoing World Test Championship.
The news on Ebadot has been offset with confirmation that pace spearhead Taskin Ahmed has withdrawn from the Lankan Premier League (LPL) to prepare for the Australia tour, ICC reports.
Taskin had been scheduled to feature for the Jaffna Kings at the LPL, but the 31-year-old has decided to do everything he can to prepare for the Australia tour.
"Yeah it is mainly for preparation (for the Australia tour)," Taskin told The Daily Sun. "We played six back-to-back matches in Zimbabwe; maybe I would have gotten four matches there (in LPL) after my stint there if I returned home and immediately gone to Australia; my Test match preparation would be hampered; despite a little loss, I thought it was okay. The Australia series won't come around often; that's why I took the decision, even after having the NOC, so I pulled out from the LPL."
Meanwhile, Bangladesh is still awaiting the results of scans on the star pacer Nahid Rana, as it remains to be seen if the fast bowler will be fit for the opening Test against Australia.
The team are also hopeful experienced batter Litton Das will be able to shake off his calf complaint to feature against Australia, with Bangladesh set to arrive Down Under at the start of next month ahead of a three-day warm-up fixture in Darwin against a Cricket Australia XI from August 3.
Bangladesh are set to arrive Down Under at the start of next month ahead of a three-day warm-up fixture in Darwin against a Cricket Australia XI from August 3, which will provide them with some valuable practice ahead of the first Test at the same venue and batting coach Mohammad Ashraful is hoping he will have a full complement of players to choose from.
"It will be tough in Australia, but the positive is that we will travel there early...10-12 days in advance," Ashraful said. "We will have the opportunity to play a three-day practice match, and hopefully, if all our players are fit, we will be able to perform well there."
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is why fast bowling stocks are so thin for teams like Bangladesh - they have very few genuine pacers who can consistently bowl 140+ in Australia. Ebadot was their best bet with his bounce and accuracy. Nahid Rana being injured as well is concerning. Taskin's sacrifice is commendable but one man can't carry an attack alone. Australia will feast on this depleted bowling lineup. Hope Litton Das is fit, he's their best bat against pace.
As an Indian fan who loves watching competitive Test cricket, I'm sad for Bangladesh. But honestly, they need to develop more than 3 reliable fast bowlers if they want to compete in SENA countries. The early arrival in Australia and the practice match is a smart move though - our Indian team should take notes for their overseas tours. Good luck Bangladesh! 💪
Respect to Ebadot for prioritizing family over cricket - that's real strength. But from a purely cricketing perspective, this is a massive blow for Bangladesh. Their pace attack now looks thin: Taskin alone can't handle Australian conditions. Nahid Rana being injured too is unfortunate. The decision to arrive early is smart, but without a full-strength bowling unit, they'll struggle. Would love to see Shakib step up with the ball as well.
Honestly, Bangladesh fans must be heartbroken. First Ebadot, now Nahid Rana doubtful, and Litton also injured. Test cricket is already struggling for relevance in some parts of Asia, and such injuries hurt the product. Taskin's dedication is inspiring though - giving up LPL money for Test preparation shows he values the longer format. India should take note of this commitment to red-ball cricket. Hope Bangladesh puts up a fight in Australia! 🤞
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