Bangladesh captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz has addressed the surprise surrounding the omission of Soumya Sarkar from all three ODIs against Pakistan, despite the batsman’s strong past performances. The decision attracted attention because Soumya had recently won the player-of-the-match award in the final ODI of the last series against the West Indies in October last year, yet did not feature in any Pakistan fixtures.
Miraz explained the reasoning after Bangladesh’s 2–1 series triumph: “Our priority was to give a player an extended run in the team. Soumya performed well in the previous series, but he had been slightly out of rhythm recently.”
Recent Form Issues
Soumya’s struggles were evident in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) One Day edition, where he failed to reach double figures in any of his three matches. Even in a preparatory match against the BPL All-Stars ahead of the Pakistan series, he scored only 11 runs from 22 deliveries. To ensure a stable opening partnership, Bangladesh opted to pair Tanziḍ Hasan with Saif Hassan at the top of the order for all three ODIs.
| Player | BPL ODI Scores | Series Role |
|---|---|---|
| Soumya Sarkar | <10 in all 3 | Omitted for form concerns |
| Tanziḍ Hasan | 22, 35, 47 | Series MVP; consistent opener |
| Saif Hassan | 4, 12 | Retained to maintain confidence |
Miraz elaborated on why Saif Hassan was retained over Soumya: “If we had included Soumya along with Saif, two risks would have emerged. Saif’s confidence could have been affected, and if Soumya failed, it might have been challenging for him mentally. We want players to have continuity and understand the responsibility of opportunity.”
Team Philosophy
The captain emphasised that the Bangladesh team values giving players extended chances to settle in. He cited the previous series where Tanziḍ, initially left out, became the standout batsman once given consistent opportunities. “A player must grasp that if he underperforms, someone else may take his place. This helps maintain accountability,” Miraz said.
With a packed ODI calendar this year—including 19 more matches—and the need to break into the top eight to avoid World Cup qualifiers, Bangladesh is focusing on consistency at the top order. “Every series and match is crucial. Our objective is to win series and accumulate ranking points to secure direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup,” Miraz added.
Bangladesh’s recent series win has already lifted them from tenth to ninth in the ODI rankings, highlighting the effectiveness of the team’s selection strategy and reinforcing the importance of giving players extended opportunities.