Cricketer Akram Khan has begun replying to the national selectors through his willow. The Siraj-led three-member committee dropped the portly middle-order from the ACC Trophy squad last month after Bangladesh performed awfully at the Commonwealth Games in September. Now he is back with a pop, if not a bang.
Akram Khan scored 118 runs in the three-match limited-over series against the visiting West Indies A team, which concluded at the Banga-bandhu National Stadium on Tuesday night with Bangladesh winning the series 2-1. He is the only man to cross the 100-mark in the three innings, including the match-winning knock of 61 in the first match on November 7.
The second match was held at the Rajshahi Stadium and he contributed the highest 49 in Bangladesh's paltry total of 147. He was unfortunately given controversially caught behind in the third match by umpire Syed Mahbubullah. But, perhaps he should not have stood his ground even if momentarily so.
Although he scored the highest total in three matches, opener Javed Omar Belim averaged the best among the Bangladesh batters. The right-hand opener scored 68 runs in two innings including his unbeaten 36 against the visitors in the first match. He tops the batting average with 68.00 followed by Akram who has 39.33.
Middle-order Al-Shahriar, who led Bangladesh to the plate-winning tour in the World Youth Cup in South Africa, scored 73 runs in three innings averaging 24.33, while former national skipper Faruque Ahmed averaged 22.66 with his total of 68 from three innings.
Skipper Aminul Islam, who finally got back his form in the deciding match on November 10 and scored a match winning 52, averaged only 18.66 as he could manage only four runs from the first two innings.
In bowling, left-arm spinner Enamul Haque averaged the best with 20.5. He bowled 27 overs including two maidens and gave away 82 runs for his four wickets. He claimed those four wickets for 25 runs in the first match on November 7. Medium-pacer Khaled Mahmud and Aminul Islam with his off-spin also captured four wickets each in the three matches. But leg-spinner Al-Shahriar is second in the table with 21.0. He bowled only five overs in two matches and captured two wickets for 42 runs.
Among the two new-ball bowlers, Hasibul Hossain was the most expensive. Although both the right-arm seamers gave away equally 102 runs but Shafiuddin captured three wickets while Hasibul bagged two in the last match.
Among the West Indies batsmen, left handed Floyd Reifer averaged highest 60.5. The middle-order bat also scored highest 121 runs for the tourists. Another left-hander Wavell Hinds scored 87 runs in three matches while right-hand middle-order Ramnaresh Sarwan collected 74 runs averaging 37.00.
Leg-spinner Rawl Lewis captured highest seven wickets with an average of 17.14. Ramnaresh Sarwan who captured two wickets for 21 from four overs got the top spot in the bowling averages with 10.5.