Returning to favorite format, Bijoy explained that he is best in ODIs
ODI format is very favorite for Bangladeshi cricketers. Anamul Haque to victory? Probably his favorite. This opener likes to know his breed in this format. It was proved once again. He returned to ODIs after more than three years and scored a magnificent half-century. He got out after scoring 73 runs off 62 balls.
New cricketers are coming one after another in Bangladesh cricket. Where is the place of old people in the Bangladesh national cricket team? Moreover, it is rare for cricketers who have gone into oblivion to return to the team again.
But when a certain cricketer makes a strong claim to return to the national team by performing, the selectors are forced to accommodate him. Anamul Haque Bijoy himself has made that path.
Bijay made his debut for the national team against the West Indies on 30 November 2012 with great potential as an opener. In the second match of his debut against the West Indies in Khulna by playing a great inning of 120 runs, Vijay said that he did not come to lose. After that, his journey continued uphill and downhill.
He scored his second century (100) against Pakistan in Dhaka in 2014 and another century (109) at St George’s in the same year when he toured the West Indies.
The collapse of victory occurred in the 2015 World Cup. New Zealand’s Nelson injured his shoulder while fielding against Scotland. He was thrown out of the group and could not return. He returned to the team again in 2018; But he no longer had that edge in his batting.
Played a total of 8 matches in 2018 and 2019. Couldn’t even score a half century. Maximum 35 runs. Called in two matches. That’s why he was left out of the team. Everyone saw the end of the victory. It is doubtful whether he himself believed in returning to the national team.
But Vijay himself changed the calculations of national team selectors, cricket fans-supporters. In the last Dhaka Premier League, Anamul Haque Bijay made a history of 1138 runs in 15 matches for Prime Bank Cricket Club. No one has ever scored so many runs in a single tournament for a particular club in List ‘A’ cricket.
The previous record of 971 runs in any particular List ‘A’ tournament or league was held by Australia’s Tom Moody. He made this record in 1991.
1138 runs is no small matter. He himself made it imperative to bring Vijay back to the national team. Hence, the selectors were also forced to include Vijay in the national team. In the West Indies tour, the team got a chance for this marquee batter.
But the irony is that the officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board or the team management played Vijay in the Test and T20 on the West Indies tour. An unaccustomed victory over ODIs in these two formats. The result is that – Vijay could not win. There was a storm of criticism, ‘Tiger in domestic cricket, Bijay becomes a cat when it comes to international cricket.’
But the team management did not try Vijay’s favorite format ODI even once. Even after sealing the series by winning the first two ODIs against the West Indies, Vijay was not given a chance when the last match became a regulation match.
Surprise! The one who is the most comfortable in one day, who has set the world record by scoring the most runs in the Premier League in one day, is he not tested in Tests and T20s and is told that he can’t do it in ‘international cricket’! One day will not be given a chance!
An opportunity came in front of Vijay during the tour of Zimbabwe. That too after burning another piece of wood. He showed failure as usual in T20. And he got a chance in the ODI due to the absence of Shakib Al Hasan. After that, Nazmul Hossain Shanta showed failure and the team management felt that in this format, Vijay should be seen with a little chance.
As soon as the opportunity came, Vijay matched himself in his favorite format. Played a great innings of 73 runs. By hitting 6 boundaries and 3 sixes against 62 balls, Vijay proved that he is the best in ODIs. This is his favorite format. The team management has only wasted his time by trying him in Tests and T20s and has also damaged the team. The team would probably have done better if someone else had been taken in place of Vijay in Tests and T20s.
