Bangladesh concluded their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup with a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over the USA, although they had already lost the series.
Their disappointing performance with both bat and ball saw them suffer defeats in the first two games before securing a comfortable win in the third T20I, despite the home team resting some key players for the inconsequential match.
While the visitors can claim a positive end to the series, it doesn’t overshadow the fact that numerous issues need addressing ahead of the showpiece event.
According to Gazi Ashraf Hossain, former Bangladesh cricketer, the series was a reality check for the team.
“We never anticipated starting the tour with a series loss, but that’s the reality,” said Ashraf with a sense of disappointment.
“Not everyone is in the desired form, which is disappointing.
We couldn’t achieve the expected results, which is certainly unsatisfactory,” he added.
Bangladesh’s death bowling was exposed in the opening game as they conceded 55 runs in the last four overs, allowing Corey Anderson and Harmeet Singh to build an unbeaten partnership of 62 runs for the sixth wicket, leading the USA to their maiden T20I win against Bangladesh.
This was not an isolated incident, as the Bangladesh bowlers struggled at crucial moments throughout the series.
Ashraf pointed out that the team paid the price for not executing their bowling plans effectively.
“In the opening game, our bowling let us down as they needed around 15 runs in the end and managed to achieve that against our top bowlers,” he lamented.
Bangladesh’s pace bowling attack is expected to receive a boost with the return of Taskin Ahmed for the global event, following his recovery from a rib injury sustained during the last ODI against Sri Lanka at home.
However, concerns remain regarding Shakib Al Hasan’s form with the ball, as the experienced cricketer managed only one wicket in 10 overs across the three matches.
Another issue for Bangladesh is their batting unit’s struggle to adapt to the tempo required for T20 cricket, often losing quick wickets when attempting to accelerate.
Ashraf, the former national captain, believes that the batting unit’s failure stems from their inability to read the situation.
“We need to play according to the demands of the situation.
If we need to hit boundaries, we should, and if we need to accumulate singles with occasional boundaries, we should do that too.
Unfortunately, we are failing to do so,” he remarked.
Despite Soumya Sarkar’s involvement in two century partnerships in recent matches, Bangladesh’s top order has been inconsistent.
The form of Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Shakib adds to the concerns, while Jaker Ali, an explosive finisher, was omitted from the last game against the USA due to sloppy wicket-keeping.
Bangladesh can take solace in Mustafizur Rahman’s outstanding performance, as he claimed a career-best six-wicket haul in the third T20I, helping them avoid a clean sweep by the home team.
However, looking ahead, they must address their issues promptly and adopt a coherent strategy as they prepare for the T20 World Cup.
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