Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto emphasized the need for “changes” in their batting approach after a disappointing performance in the Champions Trophy. He noted the repetitive mistakes and stressed the importance of improving their mindset rather than altering personnel. Shanto defended Mushfiqur Rahim despite recent poor form and mentioned the team’s struggle against offspinner Michael Bracewell, leading to a subpar score of 236. He acknowledged the need for better partnerships and has called for collective improvement to perform well in ICC tournaments, reiterating their ambition to win the Champions Trophy rather than just participate.
Shanto opened the post-match press conference on Monday by stressing the need for “changes”. “I’ve mentioned this repeatedly before, yet we [have] kept making the same errors,” he remarked. “We need to concentrate on how we can enhance our batting. I hope that after this tournament, we can implement some changes as a batting unit that will lead to improvements.”
This statement caught everyone’s attention. With Bangladesh calling for a new strategy in ODIs, there was a glimmer of hope that the captain was set to tackle the issue head-on. However, Shanto later clarified that he was referring to changes in the mindset of the current batting group, not a shift in personnel.
“We must take more responsibility for the team when we step onto the pitch to bat. We can’t keep changing [personnel]. We need to provide our existing resources with more opportunities. I think we’re taking it too lightly. We must be more accountable.”
“I wasn’t concerned about Mushfiq [Mushfiqur] bhai’s last five innings. His wicketkeeping is crucial. His contributions to the team over the years are evident. He hasn’t scored many runs in the past two or three matches, but I’m confident he will bounce back in the next match.”
On Monday, Bangladesh’s significant issue was conceding four wickets to offspinner Michael Bracewell, which led to a dismal performance in the middle overs. Their overly defensive approach that came under pressure and attempting to fight back appeared questionable as they recorded approximately 30 overs of dot balls. Shanto acknowledged that Bangladesh, finishing at 236 for 9, was well short of a competitive score.
“It was a good wicket, deserving at least 280 to 300 runs. I believe (Bracewell) bowled excellently, but we fell victim to some soft dismissals,” he commented. “We made mistakes with the bat. We could have performed better against him on this wicket. The shot selection was poor, and we could have devised better plans to avoid giving him so many wickets. He bowled well, but our execution was lacking.
“We have room for improvement. We rarely post 300-plus totals. The excessive dot balls were primarily due to losing wickets in clusters during the middle overs. Perhaps if we had secured two substantial partnerships, today wouldn’t have been so challenging. We must develop the habit of regularly scoring 300 runs. For that, we need superior practice wickets.”
“We only win at home. We don’t frequently win in overseas conditions. We need to discover how to excel in ICC tournaments.”
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Bangladesh’s inadequate batting in both group-stage matches against India and New Zealand raises questions about their readiness for ICC tournaments. Shanto expressed the need to identify ways to show improvement at the highest level, rather than merely waiting for sporadic team performances.
“We only win at home. We rarely succeed in overseas conditions. We must determine how we can perform well in ICC tournaments,” Shanto noted. “A collective improvement is essential. Some days our top order performs, while on others, only the middle order shines. Sometimes we excel in the field, creating a disorganized situation. I believe only through a collective effort can we effectively compete against stronger teams in these tournaments.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84