Opportunities must be given to newcomers
Another ODI match, another bad day for the Bangladesh cricket team.
Bangladesh couldn’t even secure a consolation win. as soon as Afghanistan reached 120 runs, the hopes of Shanto, Taskin, and their teammates of reaching the final were dashed.
Ultimately, following a 7-wicket defeat, Bangladesh returns from the tri-nation series empty-handed.
Fans and supporters are venting their frustration by blaming one person or another. The reality, however, is that the entire team is playing poorly.
No one has any confidence, and not a single batter is in a position to lift the team up. Their confidence levels have plummeted to rock bottom.
Some are placing the blame on the coaches. As for those, who are performing poorly-who seem to have forgotten how to bat-they have already been playing for quite a long time.
Changing the coach won’t achieve anything. Either a way must be found to boost self-confidence, or new players must be given an opportunity.
Following a string of batting failures, Shanto, Ridoy, and their teammates have suffered defeat against Afghanistan, just as they did against Zimbabwe.
After the match, Bangladesh captain Towhid Ridoy pointed to a “defensive mindset in international cricket” as one of the key reasons for these losses.
Ridoy, who has been handed the role of acting captain for this series in the absence of the injured Litton Das, says, “Whenever we head into a major series-be it a tri-nation tournament, the Asia Cup, or the World Cup-both individually and as a team, we all aspire to win the trophy. However, this remains mere talk; it is never reflected in our actions.”
‘I don’t want to single out any one area, because the entire batting unit failed together. There are certainly enough players in the pipeline,” said Ridoy.
The team has lost all of its last five matches against Afghanistan, and three out of four against Zimbabwe.
Yet, Ridoy offered an explanation, “With this very squad, we have defeated major teams-Australia, New Zealand, and Pakistan-all on home soil.
I wouldn’t judge the team’s overall state based on just one or two matches; the team is actually in a good position.
There is one obvious area that everyone can see: the batting unit. We have been batting very poorly in away matches, which is why the entire team is struggling. Back home, however, our batters have performed well in every single match.”
Ridoy dreams of a turnaround in next year’s Asia Cup. Speaking about this goal, he said, “The Asia Cup on home soil is a great opportunity for us.
We must-through careful planning or by any other means-bring the team to a strong position, as the Asia Cup is a crucial stage for us.’ Hopefully, Insha’Allah, we will achieve something good.”
