‘We play few matches on good wicket’: Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto seeks better results after Bangladesh’s series defeat to USA | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh’s new captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believes that the team’s T20 World Cup performance can only improve if they have access to better pitches at home.
The 25-year-old skipper highlighted the fact that Bangladesh are the only nation to have played in all T20 World Cups since 2007 without ever reaching the knockout stage.

Also see: India T20 World Cup squad: List of players, match date, time and venue

Najmul attributed their struggles to the low-scoring nature of Bangladeshi pitches, which are not conducive to the high-scoring matches typically seen in the 20-over format.He emphasized that playing on good wickets for an extended period would help improve the team’s strike rates.
“First of all, we have to play on good wickets. Some people can take it as an excuse, but it is really a fact that we play very few matches on a good wicket,” Shanto said.
Despite the challenges, Bangladesh have shown some progress in the short format, securing series wins against top teams like Australia, England, and New Zealand in recent years. However, their recent 2-1 defeat against the USA in a warm-up series has exposed some weaknesses.
“It is difficult to change things in six months. If we continue on a good wicket for one or two years, then these strike rates will improve,” said the Bangladeshi captain.
The upcoming T20 World Cup, starting June 1 in the United States and West Indies, is likely to be the last hurrah for some of Bangladesh’s most experienced players.

Shakib Al Hasan, the former captain and top-ranked T20 all-rounder, and Mahmudullah Riyad, another seasoned all-rounder, are expected to retire soon.
“Of course, I want them to play in the World Cup, giving their best. It is their decision when they will end their careers. As a captain, I would like them to share their experience with every player,” Najmul said.
Bangladesh face a tough challenge in their group, which includes strong opponents like South Africa and Sri Lanka, along with Nepal and the Netherlands. Their opening match is against Sri Lanka on June 7 in Dallas, a team with whom they have developed a heated rivalry since last year’s ODI World Cup incident involving Angelo Mathews.
Najmul, however, insists that his team has moved on from the incident and is solely focused on their own performance in the tournament, asserting, “We have already moved on. From the day the incident happened, we did not do anything that would make us think about it. I can’t say much about them. But as a team, we are focusing on our own game.”
(Inputs from AFP)