Nurul Hasan Sohan will be in charge of the Bangladeshi team in the forthcoming BAN vs ZIM T20I Series 2022. This is a real challenge for the wicket-keeper batter as he has never captained Bangladesh in any format of the game. It is believed that BCB has named Nurul as a makeshift captain for the series since all of the senior players took a break for the tour. There will be some challenges for the newly appointed skipper which he needs to overcome through his decision-making and performance. The three challenges Nurul Hasan could face in the series are discussed in this article.
The challenges Nurul Hasan could face in the Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe T20I series
There will be some challenges for Nurul Hasan Sohan while leading the Bangladesh Twenty20 side. He needs to overcome the obstacles through individual performance and leadership capabilities. Let’s take a look at three challenges that Nurul needs to focus more on in the BAN vs ZIM T20I Series 2022.
On-field decision making
Rested captain Mahmudullah Riyad has been criticized for his on-field decision-making in the recent series. His approach to dealing with the situations has been sometimes ineffective. That is why the results haven’t come in Bangladesh’s way since the T20 World Cup 2022. Stand-in captain Nurul Hasan has to be thoughtful and needs a clear vision of what he wants to achieve when making decisions on the field.
Read West Indies vs India Series 2022: Head-to-Head Stats and Full Fixtures
Nurul promises fearless cricket and a team-first culture in his latest press conference. Since Zimbabwe is the opponent, a difficult series is not anticipated. The Bangladesh team needs to be aggressive towards Zimbabwe and try to put them under strain. The upcoming series will be a great opportunity for Nurul to showcase his leadership capabilities. He can justify his selection as captain by taking the right decisions on the field.
Picking the ideal lineup for playing XI
The selectors picked five top-order batters, three batting all-rounders, one spinning all-rounder, one left-arm spinner and four pacers apart from Nurul Hasan. The Bangladesh team management and captain will face a selection dilemma when picking the right playing XI. Which two players will open the innings? How many all-rounders are to be included in the team? How many spinners and fast bowlers should be incorporated into the team? Will the comeback players get a chance to play in the series?
These are a few topics Nurul and team management have to ponder before making the final playing XI. Nurul must convey his intentions and philosophy to the management in order to field his preferred players on the pitch. However, making a sensible and right combination is a must to have a winnable team.
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2022: How Hard is Bangladesh’s Group 2?
Individual Performance
The Captain needs to lead from the front by encouraging individual performances. Nurul has been constantly picked by the selectors for his wicket-keeping ability and impressive domestic record in the Twenty20 format. However, his batting performance hasn’t been impressive since making his return to the Bangladesh T20I side last year. He has scored only 193 runs in 21 innings with a just over 100 strike rate since July 2021.
Nurul Hasan’s overall T20I batting stats
|
Innings |
Runs |
HS |
Strike Rate |
6s |
|
29 |
271 |
30* |
111.98 |
6 |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Nurul might bat at position five or six in Bangladesh's innings. His batting position hence demanded power-hitting skills. Does Nurul possess the ability to hit big shots? He has improved his power hitting in domestic Twenty20 competitions in recent seasons, but he hasn't been able to carry it over to the international level. Nurul Hasan should strive to increase his strike rate and power hitting in the death overs.
Read BAN vs ZIM 2022: 5 Bangladeshi players who can capitalize on Zimbabwe series
Bottom Line
There is no doubt that Nurul Hasan has an impressive resume in domestic T20 tournaments as captain. He has a very good winning ratio as captain in the DPL Twenty20 tournament. Nurul also led Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to win the 2019 Dhaka Premier Division T20 Cricket League. However, the wicket-keeper batter's experience as skipper of the national team will be entirely fresh. There will be added pressure on him as the expectations from the fans will be very high.
Therefore, he needs to be mentally prepared to face harsh criticism. Nurul Hasan can guide the Bangladesh team to clinch the BAN vs ZIM T20I Series 2022 if he can overcome all the major challenges and stay focused on his task.