Amidst an inconsistent group, what gaps can Miraz plug?

How quickly circumstances change in Bangladesh cricket can be surmised by how Mehedi Hasan Miraz was included in the squad for the tour of Pakistan following Soumya Sarkar's injury troubles. Miraz was just recently excluded from the squad for the UAE T20I series because his profile did not quite match T20's requirements.

Yet, the bigger question is how effective Miraz can be in plugging the gaps in a mentally deflated Tigers' outfit which suffered a series defeat at the hands of UAE.

For mistakes have been made, not just in the field but in forming blueprints for the matches where the team management should be accountable. Sending Sheikh Mahedi at number five in particular has raised eyebrows. Mahedi's batting has not looked consistent yet in a middle-order, he was promoted up the order as some sort of solution.

In looking at the playing eleven, there remains concerns about which of the players are settled. Only performances bring confidence and being able to take up the responsibility in performing the role. But bar Parvez Hossain Emon's ton, nothing of note has come in this UAE series that created impact.

Skipper Liton Das himself has found some runs but was not at his best-possible form in recent times. Bar Mustafizur Rahman, the pacers have not been able to come up with the challenges of bowling in the conditions that were presented to them.

Rishad Hossain or Mahedi are considered all-rounders but their ammunitions are more on the bowling side of things than their batting. It does not bear the look of a settled eleven.

What effect can Miraz create in this side for the Pakistan series?

BCB chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu was asked about Miraz's inclusion in place of injured Soumya and it can be surmised that a tactical advantage would be found in Miraz's bowling.

There are enough openers or batters who can play as make-shift openers already in the squad so selectors were not keen on a like-for-like replacement for Soumya.

"There are two reasons. He [Soumya] was our third opening option. We have to openers in form who are doing well at the moment. [Najmul Hossain] Shanto is in our mind and Liton has already opened in the recent series so Shanto can back it up. Naim Sheikh was also an option but he is playing four-day match," the chief selector told The Daily Star in regards to not picking another opener after Soumya's injury.

Miraz adds a particular tactical nuance with his bowling.

"The Pakistan team that was recently announced, we have seen three left-handed all-rounders while two left-handed top-order batters such as Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub so out of these five left-handers at least four may be playing, so from that regard an additional bowling option along with a bit inconsistent middle-order batting, I think this [MIraz's inclusion] was the best possible option. He is in Pakistan and also playing white-ball cricket so the transition would be easier. So I feel it was the best possible inclusion," Lipu added.

But how well does answer the batting side of things in T20s. Would this be a stop-gap measure manage the circumstances?

"He has also played domestically and done well. I feel the team management will use him in the best-possible postion. He is such a player he can bat at upper middle-order or lower middle-order and can contribute along with his experience. We had thought that he would be better playing ODIs and Tests for now but at this moment, considering overall performances he was picked," he added.

The plight of Bangladesh team can be surmised from the selection headaches. Without MIraz, there was not many other plausible options perhaps left which ones again shows up the pipeline. But even if Miraz adds a certain tactical advantage bowling to left-handers, it remains to be seen how Bangladesh can build a performing batch out of the current crop.