As Bangladesh鈥檚 practice session at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram came to a close ahead of their second Test against South Africa on Sunday, head coach Phil Simmons was spotted having a long conversation with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto.
In normal circumstances, such a conversation might not raise eyebrows鈥攑erhaps it was simply about game plan or player selection. However, recent murmurs surrounding Shanto have added an element of intrigue.
There were reports regarding Shanto that he informed BCB about his intention to step down from the captaincy after this series. However, the board or any official have not made any official comment on it yet.聽
As there was no media interaction on Sunday, the journalists who came to cover the Test did not get any opportunities to ask questions to the team members.聽
BCB provided a video interview with off-spinner Nayeem Hasan with no topic regarding the all-format captain.聽
Shanto was having a normal day as usual in practice鈥攆acing the new ball in one net, spin in another; losing his cool a bit as he was unable to connect the ball properly.
In between, he held discussions with the coach, Mushfiqur Rahim, the highest run scorer in all formats at this venue, and the curator.聽
South Africa earned their first Test victory in the sub-continent in 10 years and were the first team to hold a practice session on the day. The batters were busy as they focused on tackling the spin challenge.聽
They were successful in Mirpur, though the lack of big scores from the top six batters remains a bit of a concern for the proteas.
The problem is even bigger for the Tigers, as the batting has been a main concern for them since the India tour, where they were swept by the hosts 2-0.聽
In Mirpur, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Jaker Ali played the rescue act, helping the hosts recover from 112-6 to 307. But that was not enough, as the first inning鈥簊 score became the main difference between the two teams.聽
Mehidy, who came to bat within the 20th over in the first and 32nd in the second innings of the first Test, was seen to face the new balls from the pacers in the nets alongside Shanto.聽
But Bangladesh will be cautious that Mehidy doesn鈥檛 face the new ball in Chattogram. The wicket of the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium can give the batters a breather, too.聽
The pitch that was used for the first Test surprised many, including the South African contingent, as it was not a typical Mirpur wicket. Even Protea spinner Keshav Maharaj thought the wicket was like a typical Durban wicket.聽
Now, the eyes are on how the Chattogram wicket will turn out. It was learnt that it would be a typical Chattogram pitch where batting would be easier as the match progressed. There was a hint of grass, but it would be further cut.聽
Nayeem said in a video interview with BCB that the wicket would give an advantage to the batters.
鈥業n this ground, the spin is slow [which would help us]. In Mirpur, their spinners bowled slowly, but we tend to bowl at more than 90kph. And our batters, like Sowrab bhai (Mominul Haque) and Mushi bhai (Mushfiqur Rahim), play spin very well鈥�, said local boy Nayeem.
