Shoriful lauds "healthy competition" among pacers after comeback

Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam said on Sunday that he is not losing his sleep over his long absence from ODI set-up and that he was always prepared to deliver when the opportunity comes.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the 2nd ODI against New Zealand, Shoriful revealed staying focused despite a 16-month gap from the 50-over format. It paid dividends in the opening game of the series when he was a late inclusion after Mustafizur Rahman got injured.

The left-arm fast bowler was not in the playing XI until the morning of the game and only was picked after Mustafizur was ruled out after feeling discomfort in his right knee while warming up ahead of the toss.

Shoriful grabbed the opportunity with both hands with returns of 2/27, leaving Bangladesh with questions to answer over the combination once Mustafizur passes fit. He was also left ruing his luck as Saif Hassan dropped a regulation catch at slip to give Nick Kelly a lifeline.

What was impressive was the fact that Shoriful quickly adapted to the conditions. The wicket did not offer much bounce or pace, with the ball keeping low at times. Shoriful, who started off with a wide, bowled 27 dots across his first 30 balls while ending up with 42 dots altogether as the visitors found it hard to score off him.

"I last played an ODI against the West Indies. There was a gap, and I was also out of the team during the Champions Trophy but I always try to stick to the basics and be ready," said.

"I keep fighting with myself and try to improve. When the opportunity comes, Alhamdulillah, I aim to perform well," he added.

With Bangladesh boasting of a strong pace battery, the 24-year-old dismissed any notion of frustration over selection. He instead hailed the depth in the bowling unit as a major boost for the national side.

"There is nothing frustrating here. Those who are playing are doing well, and those outside the XI are also quality players," he said.

"It's a healthy competition. If someone like Mustafizur Rahman is unavailable and I step in, I must be ready to perform. This is good for Bangladesh cricket," he added.

The team management confirmed that a decision regarding Mustafizur will be taken ahead of the 2nd ODI after assessing his fitness and that even if he was available, one of Taskin Ahmed or Nahid Rana would have to make way.

Elsewhere, Soumya Sarkar is likely to get a chance in the playing XI but not at the top considering that the team management is not ready to tinker with the opening pair of Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Saif Hassan.

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