Afif returns as selection musical chairs spin on

Bangladesh have a few notable absentees for the white-ball tour of the West Indies, and with the squad announced yesterday, it was Afif Hossain’s turn again to have a go at the national team spot that is akin to a musical chair.
A poor run of scores leading up to this year’s T20 World Cup had seen the left-handed batter’s place as a reserve player come under fire. What performance does he bring to the team after a gap of over one year?
In terms of his latest performances, there is not much to write home about. A poor run of scores in the Asia Cup had, sort of, sealed his fate, and a lone ODI appearance in New Zealand was the last time he played for the Tigers.
Afif appeared in Australia’s Top End T20 tournament for Bangladesh HP in August this year, scoring just 73 runs in seven matches at an average of just over 10. His last 12 matches for the national team, played over a course of two years, have seen him score just 119 runs at an average of 11.90.
What could the selectors base his selection on? It perhaps was the Dhaka Premier League in March-May, which preceded Afif’s stint with BCB HP. In 13 games, he struck 277 runs at an average of just over 46.
However, Afif’s recent performances do not justify a selection, even if he has been in Bangladesh Cricket Board’s radar. It once again exposes the shortcomings of the board as they circle through names that have gone before. It did not take a performance to get into the national side. Injured absentees, such as Towhid Hridoy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, were enough for Afif to get the call-up.
Afif’s role too had often appeared to be unsuitable for his capabilities. Reliant on timing and placement, he had been pushed into number seven, even as he never merited the tag of a slogger. Which role he returns to will only be clarified when the upcoming series is played, but squad selection carousel was once again apparent simply because of the lack of options available.
This inclusion also comes when he failed to reach double figures seven times in his last 11 ODI matches. If Afif really was seeking to bat higher up the order, the team management did not avail it. This time, with a dearth of regular batters from the top and middle order, Afif could very well be seen coming higher up the order.
Into his sixth year of international cricket, Afif has shown his talent only sporadically. When the country’s cricket pipeline does not produce batters for different roles, the likes of Afif are the ones coming and going out of the side, often used as a stopgap measure.
Batting disasters were already evident during the ongoing Tests in the West Indies. Opener Zakir Hasan was dropped from the series, while Parvez Hossain Emon was called up after a few essential knocks. Without clarity in their roles, they too could prove to be part of the infamous musical chairs as selection shuffle continues.