Akram Khan has been booted out of the Bangladesh squad for the for-thcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) tourna-ment, scheduled to begin in the Napalese capital of Kathmandu from October 3. The national selectors announced the 14-member team yesterday evening.
The portly middle-order batsman, who held the reigns of the most demanding job since he took over from Faruque Ahmed way back in 1994, came a cropper following the disastrous performance of the national team in the just-concluded Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, where Bangladesh conceded three defeats, including a humiliating 114-run thrashing against Northern Ireland.
The selectors announced Akram's long-time deputy Aminul Islam as the new captain with middle-order batsmen Khaled Mahmud as vice-captain.
Although there was looming speculation that Akram may lose his captaincy after the chronic failure of the national team for the last 18 months, the decision to drop the most successful batsman from the team surprised all and sundry.
Enayet Hossain Siraj, who leads the three-man selection committee, came up with a sensational revelation that Akram was not only dropped from the team for failing to inspire his demoralised side, but for his poor performance with the bat.
``We had included him in the Commonwealth Games not for his performance, but to continue him as captain'', said Siraj while talking at the crowded press at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) office last evening.
``But after the pathetic showing in Kuala Lumpur where the team management failed miserably, we have decided to bring in a new face for a change'', explained Siraj, adding that Akram can get his place in the team if he performs well in domestic cricket.
Siraj's statement belies the fact that Akram was made captain of the C'wealth team a week after he was announced as a member of the squad. The omission of Akram, who scored 16 runs in three matches, from a team that was bowled out for a mere 63 runs against Northern Ireland hardly justified the statement of Siraj.
This is for the first time the burly Chittagonian has been dropped from the national team since he started his luminous career way back in the 1986 Colombo Asia Cup. Although the most capped captain did have his share of successes and failures, Akram carved a niche in the hearts of millions of sports fans by winning the ICC Trophy in Malaysia last year. Incidentally, Akram was the man with the 'golden' willow when Bangladesh pulled off their historic victory against Holland in Kuala Lumpur.
Also dropped with Akram from the team that took part in C'wealth Games are his Abahani team-mates, opener Azam Iqbal and Naimur Rahman. Off-spinner Sabbir Khan was the other crest-fallen player among the quartet dropped from the ACC squad.
Four players have been recalled to the side. They are -- opener Javed Omar Belim, right-hand batsman Sajjad Ahmed Monsur, Hasanuzzaman and all-rounder Al-Shahriar Rokon.
The national selectors have also announced a new assistant to Gordon Greenidge in the likes of Sarwar Imran, the successful coach of Abahani Krira Chakra last year.
Surprising was the naming of Enayet Hossain Siraj, chairman of the selection committee, as Tour manager, a phenomenon not common in the annals of cricket at this level.
Gordon, the West Indian coach of the national team, who did not accompany the team that took part in the C'wealth Games, has been summoned to take over the national team, which will be left in a 'do or die' situation in Kathmandu. The champions in Nepal will qualify for the Asia Cup, to be held in Dhaka next March. It will be a sorry sight if we are not represented.
The Bangladesh squad: Aminul Islam (captain), Khaled Mahmud (vice-captain), Shahriar Hossain, Javed Omar Belim, Faruque Ahmed, Sajjad Ahmed Monsur, Mohammed Rafique, Al-Shahriar Rokon, Hasanuzzaman, Khaled Masud (wicketkeeper), Hasibul Hossain, Morshed Ali Khan, Safiuddin Ahmed, Mushfiqur Rahman.
Officials: Enayet Hossain Siraj (Tour manager), Gordon Greenidge (coach), Sarwar Imran (Assistant coach) and Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman (Physio).