DHAKA, Nov 19, 2021 (BSS)-While the decision to bring legspinner Aminul

Islam Biplob only in the 19th over of the game when Pakistan were just two
runs away of the victory surprised many, Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah Riyad
had answer ready.

   He said since the two left-hand batters were batting during that time, he
didn't bring up Biplob for bowling as he believed legspin wouldn't have
worked well.

   "Our plan was to bring up him in the bowling but two left-hand batters
were batting during that period, so we skipped the plan and instead I came to
bowl," Mahmudullah said after the match.

   Mahmudullah himself conceded 19 runs in three overs and couldn't grab any
wicket. In fact no bowlers could break the partnership between Khushdil Shah
and Fakhar Zaman until they combined for a 56-run partnership and brought the
side back in the contest.

   They came together when Pakistan slumped to meager 24-4 in sixth over. It
was believed to be an ideal platform for a leggie as was seen in the world
cricket.

   But in Bangladesh cricket, it remains an unwritten rule that only
offpsinner would bowl against left hand batters.

   Biplob was brought in the last over. His first ball to right hand batter
Shadab Khan was a dot but the batter then slog-swept him for a massive six to
win the game for Pakistan by four wickets.

   Shadab struck 10 ball-21 not out and ably supported by Mohammad Nawaz's 8
ball-18 as Pakistan raced to the victory with four balls to spare, knocking
off Bangladeshi's 127-7. Both of the batter hit one four and two sixes.

   Biplob was believed to be included in the squad only due to the outrage of
the cricket experts and fans who slammed the Bangladesh's team management's
lack of faith on legspinner.

   Even though the legspinners like Adam Zampa, Shadab Khan, Yuzvendra
Chahal, Adil Rashid currently ruled the shortest format of the cricket,
Bangladesh even have reservation to play a leggie in the domestic cricket
because the club officials believe a legspinner would leak runs in limited
over cricket.

   However while Mahmudullah tried to explain the reason in cricketing aspect
as to why Biplob was not brought to the bowling during the match-winning
partnership of Fakhar and Khushdil, he thought that the short of 10/15 runs
hurt their chance to win the game.

   "I think when we chose to bat first, it looked a pretty good wicket to bat
on but there was help for bowlers too," he said.

   "Hopefully, we can come up with a better plan tomorrow. It would have been
better to get 140 but with 127, we thought if we could get a couple of
wickets early on, which our bowlers did, Taskin, Fizz (Mustafizur), Mahedi,
we were very close but the credit goes to their last two batters."