Baring Mushfiqur Rahim’s 29, no Bangladesh batsmen crossed the 20-run mark against a tight English bowling attack.
Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah has blamed the batsmen for their below-par show against England despite having skillful players as they slumped to a humiliating eight-wicket defeat in a Super 12 match of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Opting to bat first, Bangladesh batsmen never got going as they could put up 124/9 in 20 overs. In reply, England rode on Jason Roy’s 38-ball 61 to romp home with 5.5 overs to spare. Bangladesh have now lost both their Super 12 matches. In their first Super 12 match, they lost to Sri Lanka by five wickets.
“We were very disappointed the way we batted. We didn’t start well and we didn't get any partnerships. If we get a good start, we can capitalize,” said a disappointed Mahmudullah after the match. Moeen Ali triggered the Bangladesh collapse dismissing both the openers – Liton Das and Mohammed Naim – in the third over.
Bangladesh's premier all-rounder and most-trusted player, Shakib Al Hasan, went back in the next over. However, Mushfiqur Rahim (29) and Mahmudullah (19) steadied the Bangladeshi ship with a 37-run stand for the third wicket but once the former was gone, wickets kept falling in regular intervals.
“It gets difficult on a wicket like this if we don't get a good start. We have more skillful hitters than power-hitters. I think we need to reassess a few things in batting,” he said.
Nasum Ahmed, whose two sixes and four in the penultimate over from Adil Rashid helped Bangladesh cross the 120-run mark, reiterated that the players are trying hard to perform but somehow not clicking. He also stated that Bangladesh’s inability to score runs freely in the Powerplay is a big concern for them.
“Our problem is that we are not able to score enough runs in the powerplay and losing wickets. That’s one area which is putting us in the backfoot. Everybody is trying to contribute but somehow luck isn’t on our side,” Nasum told reporters during the post-match interaction.
Bangladesh will next play against West Indies, South Africa and Australia. According to Nasum, one win will change the whole mood of the team. “We will definitely discuss our problems in the dressing room. We have three more matches left. We just need a win to get back in form and click again. It will boost our confidence,” he said.