Since Tamim Iqbal’s retirement announcement in the middle of the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, which the hosts had to give up with one game left to avoid a defeat, Bangladesh needed a drastic change in how they thought and acted.
When it comes to the T20I version, Shakib Al Hasan and his team face an even bigger task. Afghanistan is way ahead of the Tigers because they have won six of their last nine games against them.
Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the two Afghan spinners, are still a threat, as Bangladesh’s last-minute preparations for the first T20I in Sylhet yesterday showed.
Four leg-spinners were seen working at the Bangladesh nets, including Rishad Hossain, who is on the Tigers T20I team. This shows that the hitters were thinking about Rashid.
Shakib’s strong mind was clear yesterday at the press meeting before the game. The leader of Bangladesh didn’t say anything about Rashid or Mujeeb. Instead, he said that the Tigers can win games by working as a team.
“We aren’t thinking about anyone in particular, and our team isn’t reliant on just one hitter or bowler either. Shakib told reporters, “We want to play well as a team so we can win games. This is how we want things to be.”
“We didn’t talk about or think about any one player in particular. Whether they are going to hit or bowl, I’m sure each player has worked on how to play based on the situation. You can’t tell anyone this because it’s up to each person to take care of his responsibilities and do his best.
Even though Shakib didn’t want to name the main dangers, the numbers show that the Tigers are in trouble. Rashid took 13 wickets in nine T20Is for Bangladesh, and Mujeeb took seven wickets in five T20Is for Bangladesh. Both of them had an economy rate of just over six.
Aside from the spinners on the visiting team, players like Fazalhaq Farooqi, who helped break up the Tigers’ batting line-up in the ODI series, will try to show themselves again in the smallest format.
Shakib, on the other hand, stuck to his position that the team should keep an open mind and “not think about the opponents” while playing as a unit.
“Having an open mind helps us get better at what we do. So, we should think about that and try to get better by 10–20% each time. I think that’s when the team does best.
“We couldn’t do well if we thought too much about the weather and the other team. I think we’d do better if we didn’t do that as much.”