‘Everyone is not carrying the expected form and that is disappointing’ – Chief selector Gazi Ashraf highlights Bangladesh’s mistakes following USA series loss

Gazi Ashraf Hossain ( Source : X / Twitter )

In what was meant to be a preparatory three-match series for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Bangladesh’s plans were thwarted as they lost to the hosts USA in the recently concluded series. Despite dominating the final game with a flawless 10-wicket victory, Bangladesh’s poor all-round performances in the first two matches indicated troubling signs for the team.

Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain opened up on the series loss against the USA. He highlighted that all players were not able to retain their form from the recent Zimbabwe series, which ultimately led to producing disheartening results.

“We never expected that the team would start the tour with a series loss, but that’s the reality. Everyone’s not carrying the expected form and that’s disappointing. We couldn’t earn the desired result, which is certainly dissatisfying,” Ashraf told Cricbuzz.

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In the first match of the series, the visiting bowlers leaked 46 runs in the last three overs, eventually proving to be the difference. Shedding light on the challenges faced by the Bangla bowlers during the overs of the opening T20I, Ashraf remarked that the team suffered due to their failure to adhere to the plans.

“In the opening game, we were behind due to our bowling as they needed around 15 runs in the end and managed to get that, and that too against our best bowlers,” remarked Ashraf.

While pacers like Mustafizur Rahman, coming on the back of a successful IPL campaign with Chennai Super Kings, it was the form of experienced spinner Shakib Al Hasan, which was worrisome. Notably, the star all-rounder could only pick one wicket throughout the series and was not able to put any pressure on the opposition whatsoever.

Another obstacle for Bangladesh arises as their batting line-up grapples with adapting to the pulse demanded in T20 cricket, resulting in frequent dismissals when attempting to accelerate scoring. The former national captain echoed this sentiment, stating that the team’s failure to adjust to match situations was evident, stressing the urgency of addressing this issue promptly.

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“We need to play according to the call of the hour. If we need to hit fours and sixes, we need to do that, and if we see we need to play for singles with one or two boundaries here and there, we need to follow that. But unfortunately, we are failing to do so,” noted Ashraf.

Another pressing matter is the underperformance of the top-order, as they weren’t able to cache in onto the field restrictions in the first six overs of the innings. This was quite evident, as Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side made 37/3 and 43/2 in the powerplay of the first couple of games, respectively.

As they gaze into the 20-team tournament, it becomes evident that they are confronted with a significant array of challenges, necessitating prompt resolution and the formulation of an effective strategy.