BCB chief selector explains rationale behind leaving Litton out

A prolonged slump in form, featuring a string of similar dismissals resulting in a failure to stay longer at the crease in important moments, were the main reasons behind Litton Das being excluded from the Bangladesh squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, reports UNB.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced the squad with Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Litton being overlooked. While the omission of Shakib and Tamim was anticipated, Litton's exclusion raised many eyebrows.
Despite his poor show in the middle, Litton is perceived as a talented batter who can change the game at any time- it was the main theme to keep Litton in the team for a long time.
But in his 14 innings, he failed to score even a single fifty, which proved his prolonged lean display with the bat.
"Liton is out of form," Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the chief selector of Bangladesh, said Sunday after announcing the squad.
"His dismissal patterns are quite similar. He isn't capitalizing on the powerplay in white-ball cricket. He's not staying at the crease. He has been exposed. Opposition team analysts are becoming very successful against Liton. We still gave him opportunities. But the level of trust is not there at the moment," Gazi Ashraf added.
In his last seven innings for Bangladesh, Litton failed to reach a double-digit figure, which is unusual for a batter of his caliber. Besides his poor form, the chief selector also cited the availability of strong alternatives as a reason for Litton's exclusion.
"Soumya (Sarkar) and (Tanzid Hasan) Tamim are performing well as an opening pair," Gazi Ashraf explained. "They will probably open the innings. So, there is no place for Litton in the first XI. There is no doubt about his class. If we can work on getting him out of this form slump, we can bring him back strongly. Our experts will have the opportunity to work with him during this time."