Agency :
In a crushing batting collapse, Bangladesh suffered a 92-run defeat to Afghanistan on Wednesday night. At one point, it looked like Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team was on track for an easy win, having reached 120 for the loss of three wickets.
However, Bangladesh lost their way dramatically, collapsing to 143 all-out in 34.3 overs, losing their last seven wickets for just 23 runs. With this win, Afghanistan took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
While wins and losses are part of the game, former Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam Bulbul expressed his deep disappointment over this particular defeat to Afghanistan. He was surprised by the overall performance of the Bangladeshi players in the match.
Bulbul, who has been working with the ICC as a Development Manager for many years, was present at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday at the invitation of the Afghanistan Cricket Board. He witnessed Bangladesh’s collapse live from the stands.
After returning from the stadium, he shared his thoughts on social media, stating, “After six years, I watched a Bangladesh match live in Sharjah at the invitation of the Afghanistan Cricket Board. Wins and losses happen, but I was truly surprised by the captaincy and batting strategy.
Everything seemed fatigued-the body language, focus on the ball, pre-ball routines, all combined to show a very weak plan. I hope we can improve on this soon.”
Bulbul also criticized Bangladesh’s frequent coaching changes, saying to the media, “I am not in favour of changing coaches frequently.
Changing a coach is like changing a doctor. A coach doesn’t just work on players’ skills but also on their psychology.
Frequent coaching changes are undoubtedly harmful to a team and can create a performance deficit.”
“National team coaches do not teach skills or tactics; they work on players’ mental states.
Language and culture are significant factors here. Frequent coaching changes do no good, only harm,” he further explained.