Afif and Shoriful left out of squad for final Ireland ODI

Bangladesh batsman Afif Hossain's exclusion from the squad for the deciding third ODI against Ireland at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on March 23 has come as a reality check for the talented cricketer. Together with Afif, the good teamwork has published fast bowler Shoriful Islam to play for their respective clubs in the continuing Dhaka Premier League and collaborate on their 50-over game.

Afif's absence from the ODI team for the Ireland game followed his exclusion from the previous T20I game against England, which also ended his long run in the shortest format. Afif played in all 66 T20Is for Bangladesh since his unveiling before missing the final match against Britain due to poor form. He currently holds the record for the most consecutive T20Is played for Bangladesh, surpassing Mahmudullah's tally of 54 successive T20Is from November 15, 2015, to March 30, 2021.

As Afif failed at the highest level in the shortest format, the emergence of Towhid Hridoy on the incident and Shakib's demotion to below him across white-ball formats had an impact. At the present time, the management appears to prefer Yasir Ali as that of the ODI finisher, a role traditionally occupied by Afif.

Afif has shown the capacity to bat at number 7 in ODIs. Following a fantastic ½ against South Africa at Wanderers in 2021-22, the southpaw made his case for batting promotion. He was at his best in one-day internationals all through his team knock against Afghanistan in front of one‘s tour of South Africa, when he literally prevailed single-handedly facing one of the finest spin bowlers attacks in the world with his unbeaten 93.

Many in Bangladesh's cricket community believe that his status as a left-handed batsman has worked against him in terms of moving up the batting order, given that the good teamwork is always looking for a correct middle-order batsman, considering the number of left-handed batsmen in the middle order.

Afif did not have the ideal series he could have hoped for, as well as the team management wished to see him get back to normal throughout in order to reclaim his spot in the pale format. "Afif wasn't given the excellent series that he desired, and we were disappointed. He must regain his previous level of performance "Chandika Hathurusingha, head coach, explained his stance on Afif.

Afif's exclusion from the squad has given him a reality check, and he needs to work on his form to regain his place in the team. He has the talent and potential to play at the highest level, and he needs to work on his weaknesses to make a comeback. The team management seems to have a clear plan for the future, and they are looking to build a strong squad for the upcoming tournaments. The inclusion of Towhid Hridoy in the team has given them a good option in the middle order, and they are looking to groom him for the future.

Afif needs to take this as an opportunity to work on his game and make a strong comeback. He needs to focus on his strengths and work on his weaknesses to become a more complete player. He has the talent and potential to be a match-winner for Bangladesh, and he needs to work hard to make that happen.