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Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) national selector Habibul Bashar discussed the pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka for Bangladesh vs New Zealand 2nd Test. He acknowledged that they were not intentionally trying to create a difficult pitch and admitted that the soil had an impact on the conditions.
The pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka came under scrutiny following the conclusion of the second Test match between Bangladesh and New Zealand. It was a heavily turning pitch and the batters struggled to anticipate the ball’s movement.
Of the 36 wickets that fell in the game, 30 were taken by spinners, indicating the nature of the pitch. BCB had aimed for a pitch that would favor spin bowlers, but it backfired as New Zealand defeated them by 4 wickets.
The pitch was also criticized by New Zealand captain Tim Southee, who described it as one of the worst pitches he had encountered in his career.
Habibul Bashar addressed the pitch preparation and admitted that playing on that wicket was undesirable. He attributed the way the pitch played out to the soil in Dhaka. He explained to Cricbuzz:
“We wanted a spin-friendly wicket against New Zealand, but when we try to prepare a spin track in Dhaka, it often turns out that way, and it may be related to the soil. If we had prepared a similar wicket in Chattogram or Sylhet, the outcome would have been different.”
“So, I don’t believe there was any deliberate intent behind the Dhaka wicket. This kind of pitch is not preferred by anyone because the ideal wicket is one in Sylhet, where there is something for everyone. I believe that the soil in Mirpur influences the pitch in this way when prepared to assist the spinners.”
People highlight (the Dhaka wicket) very much – Habibul Bashar
Habibul Bashar further emphasized that there is excessive attention on Dhaka’s wicket and noted that they have played on different wickets against Asian teams. He pointed out that there is more discussion when they play on spin-friendly tracks compared to playing on green tracks. He added:
“I think people don’t understand that we make a big deal about the Dhaka wicket, but we didn’t play on similar wickets against Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, or Ireland. It’s only when we play against teams like New Zealand, Australia, or South Africa—against whom we haven’t played in a while—that we encounter this kind of pitch, and it captures all the attention.”
“It’s not long ago that pacers took most of the wickets against Afghanistan and Ireland, and against India, we had a relatively balanced wicket, while against Sri Lanka, the conditions were not the same. Our captain mentioned that when we play with three pace bowlers, there is no criticism, but when we play with three spinners, there is a lot of talk. When we play on this type of wicket, we attract the spotlight, but when we play on a green surface, there isn’t the same kind of attention.”
The series between Bangladesh and New Zealand ended in a draw. The two teams will now compete in a three-match ODI series in New Zealand, starting on December 17th.
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