Shakib Al Hasan gave his opinion on the T20I series loss against USA
2024.5.24
Bangladesh’s preparations for the T20 World Cup 2024 got off to a difficult start as they slipped 0-2 behind the United States in the three-match T20I series with one game remaining. Following a disheartening 5-wicket loss in the first match, the Bengal Tigers suffered another defeat on Thursday, falling by 6 runs at Prairie View.
Bangladesh bowled first and did well, limiting the USA to 144 runs in their allotted 20 overs. However, the visitors struggled early in the hunt, losing both of their openers on the powerplay. Bangladesh seemed to be on track for victory, with to strong contributions from its middle-order hitters. However, in the last overs, their batting order disintegrated significantly, losing five wickets in the last five overs and finally being all out for 138 runs in 19.3 overs.
Shakib Al Hasan shows sadness with the series loss.
During the post-match presentation, Bangladesh’s famed all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan expressed sadness at losing the series against the United States just ahead of the world event. He admitted that the setback was unexpected, but highlighted that it will serve as a wake-up call for the squad going ahead. Shakib also praised the USA players’ effort throughout the game.
“Certainly, it is upsetting and unexpected, but we must applaud the US team for their performance. I don’t believe anyone anticipated us to lose two games. Any match you lose as a team is disappointing, and you do not want to lose a game, which is clearly quite frustrating. But, having said that, we have to play the World Cup, and this series might be a wake-up call for us since we haven’t played the way we want to,” Shakib remarked in the post-match presentation, as reported by Cricbuzz.
Shakib offers his views on taking the USA lightly.
Following a crushing setback in the series, supporters criticized the squad of being overconfident and underestimating the USA’s capabilities. In response to these claims, the former Bangladesh captain stated that they did not underestimate the USA and highlighted that in T20 cricket, there is no such thing as a weak or strong squad. Shakib later admitted that his team failed to execute the strategies that should have been performed on the field during the game.
“There are no tiny or large teams in T20 cricket, which is why it is more thrilling than other formats. And the previous two games in which the United States played demonstrate this. I do not believe we took them lightly. We couldn’t accomplish what we intended to do in the first game, and the same thing happened in the second game – we couldn’t carry out the plans that we were meant to do on the ground,” the 37-year-old explained.
Shakib complains about the amenities offered to the Bangladeshi squad.
The Magura-born player was dissatisfied with the conditions at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Houston, claiming that rain and restricted practice time had hampered their preparations. Shakib emphasized the necessity for extra practice sessions, which they were eventually unable to get. He also urged for enhanced facilities to help them prepare for forthcoming matches and the ICC event. Shakib pointed out that his squad only had one proper net practice session and argued that the situation may have been better.
“If we consider this to be a World Cup preparation series, we should have had a lot more batting and bowling sessions, as well as better facilities, which we did not have. I believe we had a proper net session for one day, and even on that day, the batters did not require the batting practice. “And there was an optional day, which the batsmen did not take advantage of,” Shakib said.
“There was rain for one day and we couldn’t do anything; there are four fields, but we could only practice on three pitches, which I don’t believe is ideal. “And I believe these things could have been improved,” he said.
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