Image Credit- AFP
The Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium’s surface has
gained a lot of attention since Bangladesh lost to New Zealand by four wickets
in the second Test in Dhaka. Bangladesh’s choice to use a dry, spin-friendly
field backfired on them as New Zealand won an exciting run-chase to tie the
series after losing the first game in Sylhet by 150 runs. Up to 30 of the 36
wickets that fell in the game went down to spin.
Tim Southee, the captain of New Zealand, described the
wicket as one of the roughest he had ever encountered in a Test match. The
member of the national selection panel, Habibul Bashar, addressed the pitch
preparation, which was notably biassed in favour of the spinners, stating that
it wasn’t deliberate and that the Mirpur soil’s characteristics greatly
influenced how the pitch performed.
“We would obviously want to have a spin-friendly
wicket against New Zealand but the only problem when we try to prepare a spin
track in Dhaka, it turns out that way and probably it has got something to do
with the soil. If we had tried to make a similar wicket in Chattogram or Sylhet
it wouldn’t had been the same case,” Bashar told Cricbuzz on Sunday
(December 10).
“So I don’t think there is anything intentional
regarding the wicket in Dhaka. I don’t think anyone would like to play on this
kind of wicket because if you want to have the ideal wicket it is the wicket in
Sylhet where there is something for everyone. What I understand that because of
soil when Mirpur wicket is prepared to assist the spinners it turns out that
way.
“I think what people don’t understand is that we
highlight (the Dhaka wicket) very much but we didn’t play on similar wickets
against Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan or Ireland. It is only when we
play against New Zealand, Australia or South Africa though – we are not playing
against them for quite some time – when we play in this kind of wicket and it
grabs all the attention,” he said.