File photo of Bangladesh batter Najmul Hossain Shanto.© AFP
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto acknowledged that his batters have been underperforming in the T20 World Cup but promised better showings with the bat in their remaining Super Eights matches including the next one against India. Bangladesh produced their best-ever showing at the T20 World Cup as they won three matches in the group stage to qualify for the Super Eights. But the Tigers were handed a 28-run DLS defeat by Australia in their opening Super Eight fixture. They take on India next.
“The next two matches are important. There is a lot to gain from them. If we can win them, we will be in a better condition. We will play to win every match,” Shanto said at the post-match press conference.
Bangladesh posted 140/8 in their 20 overs in yet another underwhelming batting display.
“Yes, there was big difference in the condition because last match there was a lot of spin and also seam but today the wicket looked flat… a very good wicket to bat and I think we didn’t bat well, so I think that is the big difference, probably we should have targeted 160 to 170.
“I think as a player we had to adjust but we couldn’t execute with that new ball, especially in the power play and we couldn’t finish last five-six overs, so we lost too many wickets, so if it ended well, we could have scored a proper 160 or 170,” he added.
Expectations were after their pre-tournament series loss to USA, but they made it out of a difficult group.
Asked why the team is struggling in batting, Shanto said, “It is difficult to say why we are not able to play. I think everyone has the capability, people have played well in different places in the past.
“But I do not have an answer to why this is not happening. Everyone has the freedom to play their natural game and they will try to play as they want, but somehow it is not happening.”
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