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Faruque gets undue nod

Faruque Ahmed sneaked through the scrutiny screen to avail the dream bus to the England World Cup. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the 15-man Bangladesh squad yesterday.

The former national captain, not considered for any of the three limited-over matches at home due to a long-standing groin injury, got the much-sought-after ticket when the national selectors picked the experienced right-hander ahead of an itchy-feet Al-Shahriar for the demanding number three spot.

While Faruque passed the weird selection procedure without going through any strenuous test, all-rounder Rahul Neeyamur Rashid was named for the World Cup without donning the national cap ever before.

Although the tardy selectors, led by an ever-whimsical Enayet Hossain Siraj, did not have too many options in picking the final fifteen from a choice of nineteen, they showed once again the uncanny skill of choosing and chopping for apparently no good logic. The four others in the 19-man list have been named as stand-by players.

Enayet was in the centre of controversy when his three-man team dropped Minhazul Abedin despite the experienced batsman having performed exceptionally well in domestic cricket. The enfant-terrible got the chop for what the selectors termed 'disciplinary ground'. However, following vehement protests from all quarters, Enayet tried to save his skin by claiming that Minhazul was too old to run alongside the other fresh legs. But the same Enayet & Co. proved to be extremely liberal regarding the case of non-playing Faruque, himself not any fresh in the legs department compared to Minhazul.

The veteran right-hander did not score a lot of runs in domestic cricket. And more importantly, he never appeared comfortable since being recalled to the national selection after a long four-year break.

A few might argue and the selectors may turn a deaf ear, but any close follower of Faruque knows that he was carrying a groin injury for a long time. His 'old' injury was, however, 'surprisingly' discovered only 24 hours before the selectors announced the playing eleven against Pakistan earlier this month.

Cynics say that Faruque, always a suspect against quality fast bowling, ducked the match for obvious reasons.

Although it was not confirmed whether Faruque has recovered, the national selectors have kept their faith on him without giving him a trial to prove his mettle.

It is true that no selection is safe from criticism. But the selection procedure appears more like an arbitrary process. Only a week ago, the national selectors said that they would announce the final squad after the tri-nation tournament. But they changed their mind mid-way through the meet. And when the BCB General Secretary Syed Ashraful Haque announced the team last evening, Enayet was nowhere in sight to elaborate the committee's position. Perhaps accountability is one aspect that does not exist in Enayet Hossain's dictionary. Or, for that matter, BCB's!

One also wondered where was Gordon Greenidge. Did the national coach, switched on to the mute mode since long, have any say in the team? Does the Aussie physio Alan Hunt and the West Indian national coach know that Faruque has a chronic groin problem? Above all, does everyone concerned know that such precedents can harm Bangladesh cricket in the long run?

Bangladesh squad:

Aminul Islam (captain), Khaled Mahmud (vice-captain), Shahriar Hossain, Mehrab Hossain, Faruque Ahmed, Akram Khan, Khaled Masud, Naimur Rahman, Mohammed Rafique, Enamul Hoque, Hasibul Hossain, Safiuddin Ahmed, Monjurul Islam, Jahangir Alam and Neeyamur Rashid.