Bangladesh cricket team is like a neighborhood team. Everyone is batting and bowling like they want, there is no accountability. But who can say that this is a national cricket team. Let’s take the first T20 match against Sri Lanka yesterday, there were 4 openers in the XI. But the best batsman of the team did not get a chance in T20. Another one got a chance to play 5 balls in total.
Liton Das himself probably doesn’t know how many more chances he will get to score runs. On the other hand, opener Naeem Sheikh batted at number 4 yesterday. Mehedi Hasan Miraj batted at number 6 despite Shamim Patwary being there. The answers that cricket fans are also trying to find out. However, spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed tried to answer after the match.
On playing Naeem Sheikh at number 4 and making Miraj bat at number 6, Mushtaq said, “The selectors will know this better than me. Zaker (Ali Anik) was injured, he was doing much better at numbers 5-6. Naeem came into the team. I am not sure about him. I saw him for the first time today. Sometimes you have to look at the team combination. Which combination is going to be good for the team. (Parvez Hossain) Emon and (Tanzid Hasan) Tamim have batted very well recently. As young openers, they are very exciting. They are capable of taking us forward in the match. They have to improve quickly in some areas. If you go up to 50, you have to turn it into 100. That is where you need a good partnership. They have to learn quickly.”
On not playing Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, Mushtaq said, “I think you have to look at the combination. As a batting unit, you need runs. You have to keep batting options at number 7. Miraj batted well. “You don’t see what we see in the dressing room. We don’t see what you see. So we have to see everything and then make a decision.”
Miraj scored 29 runs in 23 balls. Naeem scored 32 runs in 29 balls with a slow batting. In response to the question whether this was a crime or not, Mushtaq said, “No, cricket is cricket. Don’t bring crime here. Crime is a very bad word. They tried their best. They tried to hit every ball. I saw it as a coach. They were also disappointed. Sri Lanka were 80 runs in 4 overs. Later we made a great comeback. What would have happened if we had scored 170 runs? So we have to learn quickly and move on quickly. We have to move forward from here.”
FAQ
What happened in the first T20 match?
Bangladesh lost the opening T20 match, and their performance raised concerns among fans and analysts about the team’s strategy and decision-making.
Why are Bangladesh’s tactics being questioned?
Critics pointed out issues like poor team selection, playing too many openers, lack of clear roles, and inconsistent batting and bowling plans.
What does “lack of accountability” mean in this context?
It suggests that no one in the team or management is taking clear responsibility for poor decisions or performances.
Who are the main players under criticism?
While no specific player is solely blamed, the spotlight is on team selectors, senior batters, and coaching staff for questionable decisions.
Did the team have too many openers in the playing XI?
Yes, Bangladesh reportedly played four openers, which confused the batting order and left middle-order players with limited roles.
