Bangladesh’s Stand-in Captain Suggests Stable Batting Order Would Improve Team
Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed that the team would have performed better if the batting order had not been constantly shuffled during the World Cup. He stated this at the conclusion of Bangladesh’s disappointing campaign, following their regular captain Shakib Al Hasan and the management defending the decision on previous occasions.
Bangladesh made numerous changes to their line-up for almost every game in the tournament. Shanto mentioned that it would be beneficial for the team to refrain from shuffling the batting order any further. He acknowledged that while there is a need to make adjustments against certain teams, minimizing the shuffling would be advantageous.
The team management had placed trust in players like Mehidy Hasan Miraz, whose surprising batting form led to constant changes in the batting order. However, this approach often displaced more established players from their usual positions and did not consistently yield positive results.
Notably, players like Towhid Hridoy and Shakib also did not have fixed batting positions, contributing to the instability in the team’s batting line-up. The constant changes were endorsed as part of “modern cricket” by assistant coach Nic Pothas. However, after receiving instructions from the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to halt the shuffling, the team eventually opted for a more stable batting order.
Shanto also highlighted Bangladesh’s struggle to convert starts into substantial scores and their difficulty in adjusting from slow pitches at home to the faster and bouncier surfaces in India during the World Cup.
While discussing his own and the team’s performance, Shanto emphasized the importance of converting starts into big scores, expressing hope that the learning experience from the World Cup will aid the team’s future development.
Despite his own lackluster performance in the World Cup, Shanto’s candid assessment of the team’s challenges demonstrates his leadership qualities. The BCB is reportedly considering him for the Test captaincy later this month, with Shanto expressing his readiness to take on the role.
In conclusion, Shanto acknowledged the pressure he faced as captain and expressed his eagerness to lead the team effectively if given the opportunity in the future.