T20I
T20 World Cup: Tigers brought crashing down to earth by clinical Scots
Fighting every step of the way after at one stage looking down and completely out of the contest in their first match of the T20 World Cup, Scotland upset Bangladesh by six runs on Sunday at Muscat, Oman with a performance worthy of Braveheart.
Coming on the back of two official warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and Ireland that they also lost, it completed an ignominious hattrick of defeats for the Bangladesh team, on their first assignment overseas following a dominant home season against Australia and New Zealand, where the uniquely unsporting pitches raised eyebrows among various quarters, as to whether they could provide the kind of preparation necessary for an apex event such the ICC's T20 World Cup.
More than one BCB official had sung the hymn of 'confidence-building' at that - the flawed belief that simply getting some wins under your belt can help you stand taller in your following matches. But when the players themselves are well aware of the part played by the dreadful pitches in those wins, any confident posture accruing from those results is likely to be false, at best.
Sunday's match was only the second T20I between these two teams, and Scotland have now won both. For the first hour or so of the game though, the Tigers did look the part.
Chris Greaves displayed a remarkable performance both with bat and ball. He scored 45 off 28 balls and bagged two wickets conceding 19 runs in three overs. He played a pivotal role for Scotland to upset the Tigers.
To chase down the target of 141 in 20 overs, Bangladesh needed 54 in the last five overs, but they failed to achieve that. The onus was on Afif Hossain and Mahmudullah Riayd, but they couldn’t play their roles well.
Bangladesh’s hope was on Nurul Hasan Sohan as well. He has the ability to play big shots at the death overs. But on Sunday, he was haunted by Bradley Wheal thanks to a wonderful acrobatic catch by Calum MacLeod at the boundary.
Read: Mahedi takes career-best 3/19 in first T20 World Cup match
Mahedi takes career-best 3/19 in first T20 World Cup match
Bangladesh right-arm off-break bowler Mahehi Hasan earned his career-best bowling figures in his first match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup against Scotland at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground of Oman Sunday.
Mahedi, who claimed three wickets for 19 runs in a four-over spell, took two wickets in his first over.
The previous best bowling figures of Mahedi was 2/12 against New Zealand in Dhaka last month after making his T20 debut in 2018 against Sri Lanka.
Read: Shakib becomes highest-wicket taker in T20Is
The right-arm off-break bowler came to the attack in the eighth over of Scotland innings and grabbed the first wicket in his second ball, trapping Matthew Cross (11) lbw, leaving Scotland at 45/2 in 7.2 overs.
He removed opener George Munsey (29) in his fifth ball of the same over.
Later, Mahedi completed his three wickets haul, bowling out Calum Macleod (5) in his third over.
Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Five Bangladesh players to watch out for in the tournament
Earlier, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan emerged as the highest wicket-taker in T20Is with 108 wickets, surpassing Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga (107 wickets), after taking two wickets in the day's T20 World Cup match against Scotland.
With the day's feat, Shakib became the only cricketer in the world to take 600 wickets in international cricket alongside scoring 12,000 runs.
Shakib becomes highest-wicket taker in T20Is
The wait is finally over! Bangladesh star allrounder Shakib Al Hasan became the highest wicket-taker in T20Is. He surpassed the Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga on Sunday while taking two wickets against Scotland in Bangladesh’s first match of the T20 World Cup.
Along the way, Shakib completed 600 wickets in international cricket. He has earlier completed 12000 runs in international cricket as well.
Shakib is now the only cricketer on the planet to score more than 12000 runs and at least 600 wickets in international cricket. South African legend Jack Kallis is right after him with more than 25000 runs and 577 wickets.
Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Five Bangladesh players to watch out for in the tournament
The left-handed all-rounder was close to surpassing Malinga in the Australia series at home, but he couldn’t. He was also close to touching the fate in the New Zealand series, but he failed once again.
Now, in the World Cup, Shakib finally surpassed Malinga and became the highest wicket-taker in the shortest format of international cricket.
Read: Tigers to put onus on skill over power: Mahmudullah on eve of T20 WC
Malinga had taken 107 wickets in 84 matches. Shakib needed to play 89 matches to surpass him. Shakib has four four-wicket and one five-wicket hauls in the format as well.
ICC Player of the Month: Nasum Ahmed Favourite to Win for September
The player of the series winner in the BAN vs. NZ series, Nasum Ahmed is the favourite to win the ICC Player of the Month for September. The ICC has nominated the left-arm spinner for the award. Nasum Ahmed was brilliant with the ball in Bangladesh's recent T20I series against New Zealand, which they won 3-2. The other two nominees are Jaskaran Malhotra of the United States and Nepal's leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. Why Nasum Ahmed is the favourite to win the coveted award for the month of September is discussed in this article.
Read: Tamim’s EPL stint comes to an abrupt end
ICC Player of the Month for September: The Nominees
Nasum Ahmed, Jaskaran Malhotra, and Sandeep Lamichhane have been selected for the September edition of the ICC Men's best player award. They all performed well for their respective nations last month. Therefore, they are worthy of this honour. Let's take a closer look at how they performed during September.
Nasum Ahmed (Bangladesh)
M: 5 | Wkts: 8 | BBI: 4/10 | Econ: 4.78 | Ave: 8.37 | SR: 10.5
Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed put a lot of pressure on the New Zealand batting order during the bilateral T20I series in September. Because of the slow nature of the wicket, Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad chose him mostly to open the innings. Nasum can bowl wicket to wicket to prevent batsmen from freeing their arms for big shots. With this quality, Nasum did an excellent job and helped Bangladesh with regular breakthroughs.
Overall, Nasum Ahmed bagged 8 wickets in the 5-match T20I contest, guiding Bangladesh to their first-ever bilateral T20I series victory over New Zealand. Nasum's best bowling figure (4/10) came in the crucial fourth match of the series. Bangladesh clinched the series with a game to spare thanks to his outstanding bowling. The left-arm spinner was awarded player of the series for his outstanding performance in the bilateral contest. He is a strong contender for the ICC's best player of the month award.
Read: Unofficial result: Nazmul set to become BCB president again
Jaskaran Malhotra (USA)
M: 6 | Runs: 261 | HS: 173* | Ave: 87.00 | SR: 104.40 | 100: 01
USA's hard-hitting batsman Jaskaran Malhotra impressed the crowd with a mesmerizing performance in a One-Day International match against Papua New Guinea. He hit an undefeated 173* off 124 balls, including six sixes in a single over. He became the fourth player in history to accomplish the feat after Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, and Kieran Pollard.
This wicket-keeper batsman scored 261 runs at an average of 87 in six ODI matches for the USA in September. ICC has honoured Malhotra by nominating him for the best player of the month award. Earning a spot among the candidates is a huge accomplishment for Jaskaran Malhotra.
Read BCB Election 2021: all set for Wednesday's polling
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Potential milestones to achieve by Bangladeshi players
Bangladesh cricket team will begin their T20 World Cup campaign on October 17. First, they will face the qualifying round in order to qualify for the Super 12 round. Cricketers have to play to their full potential right from the beginning. Bangladesh should have a good campaign if they perform well as a team. Players will get the opportunity to achieve some personal milestones during the competition. The milestones that Bangladesh players can achieve during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 are discussed in this article.
Attainable Milestones for Bangladeshi Players in the T20 World Cup 2021
13,000 International Runs
Mr. dependable Mushfiqur Rahim will be able to complete his 13,000 international runs if he finds his best groove in the competition. He currently has 12,598 runs in 433 innings and needs just 402 more runs to reach the milestone.
Read National Cricket League to be more competitive, hopes Habibul
4,000 International Runs
Left-arm top-order batsman Soumya Sarkar may reach 4,000 international runs during the tournament. He needs merely 292 runs to reach the milestone. So far, Soumya has 3,708 runs in 150 innings for Bangladesh
600 International Wickets
The best all-rounder in the world Shakib Al Hasan only needs two wickets to become the first Bangladeshi player to reach 600 international wickets. He has 598 international wickets in 361 matches for Bangladesh.
Read Bangladesh U-19 to travel Sri Lanka in October
100 International Wickets
Pace bowler Taskin Ahmed can get 100 international wickets at the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 if he finds his best rhythm. Taskin has 90 international wickets in 74 appearances for Bangladesh, and he needs only 10 more to reach the century mark.
150 International Catches
Bangladesh's T20 captain Mahmudullah Riyad is only four catches away from reaching his 150 international catches. He has 146 catches In 352 appearances for Bangladesh.
Read Afghanistan win one-off Youth Test beating Bangladesh by three wickets
100 International Catches
Shakib Al Hasan has 98 international catches in 361 games for Bangladesh, and he barely needs two more to get 100 catches on the international stage.
50 International Catches
Liton Das needs three more catches to get 50 international catches for Bangladesh. He has 47 catches in 110 appearances for Bangladesh.
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan can break two records in the qualifying round
400 International Matches
Mushfiqur Rahim would become the first Bangladeshi player to play in 400 matches if he plays 7 matches in the competition.
2000 T20I Runs
Both Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan have an opportunity to reach 2,000 T20I runs during the T20 World Cup. Mamudullah has 1771 runs in 102 matches and needs 229 more runs to hit the landmark. On the other hand, Shakib Al Hasan has 1763 runs in 88 matches for Bangladesh and needs 237 more runs to reach the 2,000 T20I runs milestone.
Read Hasan Mahmud needs to go abroad for medical examination: BCB chief physician
1000 T20I Runs
Top-order batsman Liton Das needs 289 runs to become the sixth Bangladeshi to achieve 1,000 T20I runs. He has 711 runs in 37 T20 innings for Bangladesh.
Most Wickets in T20I
Shakib Al Hasan would surpass Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga as the highest wicket-takers in T20I if he gets two more wickets in the competition. Shakib has 106 wickets in 88 appearances for Bangladesh.
Read Tamim set to fly for Nepal to take part in EPL
100 T20I Appearances
Mushfiqur Rahim may become the second Bangladeshi player to complete 100 T20I appearances after Mahmudullah Riyad. Mushfiqur will attain the milestone if Bangladesh advance to the semifinals in the T20 World Cup.
Most Matches as T20I Captain
Surpassing Mashrafe Mortaza, Mahmudullah Riyad will captain Bangladesh for the most T20I matches during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Mahmudullah Riyad has led Bangladesh in 27 matches. He has a record of 13 wins and 14 losses. On the other hand, Mashrafe Mortaza captained Bangladesh in 28 matches, winning 10 and losing 17.
Read IPL 2021: Will Shakib Al Hasan Play in a crucial MI vs. KKR match?
Bottom Line
Bangladesh have a good chance of doing well in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 because the competition is being hosted in Asia. The Bangladesh team should do well in the competition because of the favorable weather and pitch conditions. Some talented players of the team may accomplish personal milestones if they play to their full potential. It will also motivate players to improve their performance on the field. Overall, tiger cricket fans hope for a better showing from Bangladeshi players in the competition.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Favorites to qualify for semifinals from Group 2
The T20 World Cup 2021 is slated to begin late next month. The seventh edition of the ICC’s shorter format World Cup will be co-hosted by the UAE and Oman. The competition's super 12 round will begin on October 23rd, and it will be split into two groups of six teams each. A number of Asian teams will participate in group 2. Which two teams from Group 2 of the super 12 have the best probability of reaching the semifinals in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021? The Group 2 favorites to advance to the semi-finals are discussed in this article.
Favorites to advance to the semifinals from group 2 of the Super 12 round
India
India’s captain Virat Kohli has decided to step down his role after the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. His announcement has surprised many cricket fans around the world given the fact that he is doing well as Team India skipper. But Virat Kohli’s decision will inspire Indian players to do well in the upcoming event. Indian selectors also included experienced off-spinner Ravi Ashwin in the squad who last featured against the Windies back in 2017.
India's T20 World Cup campaign will begin on October 24 in Dubai with a match against Pakistan. This will be a vital contest for India along with the match against New Zealand. The Indian team is expected to finish first in this group because they have some serious talents in the squad.
India's five key players
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Favorites to qualify for semifinals from Group 1
Pakistan
Pakistan are always a tough opponent in the limited-overs format. Led by Babar Azam, this team does have some real potential. However, they must play with courage in order to maintain consistent performance throughout the tournament.
Pakistan will be able to solidify their strong position in the points table if they can defeat India in their opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. New Zealand, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will also be tough opponents for Pakistan.
Therefore, Pakistan's prospects in the competition will be determined by their consistency. However, they should advance to the next round with their present lineup.
Pakistan's five key players
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali
Read Youth ODI series: Afghanistan register first win with a Mankad
New Zealand
New Zealand are one of the favorites to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 this year. The New Zealand Test squad just won the maiden ICC Test Championship and their limited-overs team competed in the 2015 and 2019 ICC ODI World Cup finals. Therefore, they have a high level of confidence in comparison to the other competitors in the tournament.
Kane Williamson-led the Blackcaps Twenty20 International team is well equipped for the ICC T20 World Cup with some of the best T20 players in their roster. New Zealand will face two Asian powers as its main opponents in the Group stage. Two teams from India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are most likely to advance in the World Cup semifinals.
New Zealand's five key players
Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Tim Southee
Bangladesh
Bangladesh are expected to finish first in Group B in the qualifying round. Bangladesh's chances against strong opponents in the Super 12 are slim; since they will likely face New Zealand, India, and Pakistan in the first round.
Senior players will have to shoulder the majority of the burden If Bangladesh are to proceed to the next round of the tournament. Bangladesh’s batting will have to play the most crucial role in the tournament because their batting performance hasn't been up to par recently. Overall, Bangladesh have a good chance in two matches, but qualifying for the first knockout phase will be difficult.
Bangladesh's five key players
Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin
Read NZ abandons cricket tour of Pakistan over security concerns
Afghanistan
Afghanistan are a very competitive T20 team. They have the ability to beat any team on their day, but they have yet to demonstrate their full potential in the ICC's major tournament. Afghanistan will get a wonderful opportunity to exhibit their talent on this occasion, although qualifying for the next stage will be difficult.
Afghanistan’s main target would be to ensure at least two wins and if possible, make one or two upset. Rashid Khan is their superstar cricketer and he can inspire Afghanistan to excel their performance in the main event.
Afghanistan's five key players
Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad
Read Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 skipper
Verdict
After looking at the teams' strengths, it's clear that India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are the favorites to go to the semifinals. Furthermore, both Bangladesh and Afghanistan have a good possibility of doing well during the campaign. Teams must find their best rhythm in order to put up a consistent performance during the main event. Group 2 is likely to be very competitive but the team with the best overall performance will progress to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semifinals.
Lasith Malinga: The Illustrious Career of yorker king
One of the best white-ball bowlers of all time, Lasith Malinga had numerous memorable moments during his playing career that fans would remember for the rest of their lives. Malinga declared his retirement from both ODI cricket after the ICC World Cup 2019. However, he preferred to play T20 cricket for a few more years. Malinga last played for Sri Lanka against the Windies in March 2020, and he announced his retirement from franchise cricket in January 2021. Finally, he declared his retirement from all forms of cricket in September 2021. Let’s take a look at Lasith Malinga's illustrious career.
Lasith Malinga’s Background
Malinga was born on August 28, 1983, at Rathgama, Galle in Sri Lanka. He grew up in humble circumstances. In his boyhood, he used to play cricket with friends on the sand banks beside a river.
While attending Vidyaloka College in Galle, Malinga began his cricket career. Former Sri Lankan paceman Champaka Ramanayake found Malinga there. He extended an invitation to him to join the Galle Cricket Club.
Read:All-rounder Nasir eyes a national team comeback
Champaka Ramanayake had a huge impact in his initial cricket career. He aided him in his development as a bowler and fostered him during his early years.
At a Glance: Lasith Malinga's Cricket Career
Lasith Malinga is considered one of the best fast bowlers in cricket history. He is known as 'Slinga Malinga.' for his unique round-arm action. Lasith Malinga made his international debut in Test cricket against Australia in 2004 and impressed the great Australian team by bagging six wickets in the match.
Malinga made his ODI debut against the UAE in the 2004 Asia Cup, and he played his maiden T20I against England in 2006.
Read:Aich Mollah's century guide Bangladesh to clinch Youth ODI series beating Afghanistan by 121 runs
Despite an impressive start, Lasith Malinga retired from Test cricket in 2011 to focus on his limited-overs career. Malinga has 101 wickets in 30 Tests at an average of 33.15 before declaring his Test retirement. His best Test bowling figure was 5/50.
Lasith Malinga competed in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019 ICC ODI World Cup, finishing runner-up in the 2007 and 2011 editions.
The 2014 T20 World Cup was Malinga's most successful tournament for Sri Lanka. He was named captain only before the competition because Dinesh Chandimal was suspended. Sri Lanka won a World Cup for the first time since the 1996 World Cup, thanks to Malinga's leadership.
Read England Clinch Series Against Sri Lanka; Windies Stun South Africa in the First T20I
Malinga later captained Sri Lanka in a number of series and tournaments, though without much success. The right-arm pacer was named to the ICC's team of the tournament several times. He also shared the most international hat-tricks with Pakistan's Wasim Akram.
Lasith Malinga was plagued by injuries throughout his career. He had to miss numerous international matches due to a knee injury.
Lasith Malinga was a popular player among the franchises in T20 leagues around the world. He regularly featured in IPL, BBL, CPL, and BPL. He now holds the record for most wickets (170) in the Indian Premier League and the best bowling figure (6/7) in the Big Bash League.
Lasith Malinga’s International Career
Test
Match
Wkts
BBI
Ave
Econ
SR
5W
30
101
5/50
33.15
3.85
51.50
3
ODI
226
338
6/38
28.87
5.35
32.30
8
T20I
84
107
5/6
20.79
7.42
16.80
2
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read: Pakistan to tour Bangladesh later this year for three T20Is, two Tests
Notable Cricket Record of Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga broke several records and set up new records particularly in white ball during his almost two decades of professional cricket career. Here are some of the notable cricket records by the coveted right-arm medium pacer.
Stats in Numbers
3. The first and only bowler in One-Day International cricket history to take three hat-tricks.
4. Lasith Malinga is the only bowler to capture four-wickets in a succession in international cricket.
6. Malinga's best T20 bowling figures (6/7) came against Perth Scorchers for Melbourne Stars in the 2012-13 Big Bash League. This is also the best bowling figure in the history of the Big Bash.
15. He holds the record for most four-wicket hauls (15) in T20s.
100. The first bowler to take 100 wickets in all three formats of international cricket.
107. Lasith Malinga finishes the Men's Twenty20 Internationals as the highest wicket-taker with 107 wickets.
152. Malinga has the most 'bowled' wickets of any player in the T20s, with 152.
170. Lasith Malinga has the most wickets in the Indian Premier League (170).
Read:ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh Team needs to improve three things before the tournament starts
Bottom Line
Lasith Malinga was an exceptional cricketer. Three things come to mind when fans think about Malinga; his curly hair, unorthodox bowling action, and unplayable yorker. The batters were always under pressure because of his unique bowling action. They were prone to making mistakes under pressure due to his incredible accuracy with the yorker. So, it's clear to understand how destructive he was. Lasith Malinga is arguably the greatest T20 bowler of all time and one of the top three finest bowlers in Sri Lankan cricket history. Malinga deserves praise for his contribution to cricket.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh Team needs to improve three things before the tournament starts
The UAE and Oman will host the seventh edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in the next month. A total of 16 countries will compete in this competition. The top eight teams in the ICC T20I team rankings have qualified for the Super 12s. The remaining eight teams will be split into two groups to play qualifiers in order to be eligible for the Super 12s. Bangladesh team is hoping to do well in this year's competition. However, there are three things Bangladesh need to work on before the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 which are discussed in this article.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Things that Bangladesh Team Needs to Improve
Mahmudullah Riyad-led Bangladesh team will compete in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Only Tamim Iqbal will not partake in the main event among the senior players. Let's look at the areas that Bangladesh must address before the main event.
The Top order's Consistent Performance
The ICC encourages batsmen to score runs during the main event in order to attract spectators. Therefore, all four T20 World Cup venues will likely contain sporting pitches. It is expected that some run-fest contest will take place in this event and the Bangladesh team management would be prepared for this.
Read:Youth ODI series: Bangladesh look for series win against Afghanistan Tuesday
Bangladesh's first task is to ensure that the top order performs consistently. Half of the job will be done for the team tigers if the top order guarantees the type of start Bangladesh expects.
In the absence of veteran Tamim Iqbal, one of Bangladesh's openers would have to shoulder extra responsibility to anchor the innings during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Because the openers can set up the platform for Bangladesh innings.
We saw how Bangladesh's top order struggled in both the Australian and New Zealand series. Liton Das and Mohammad Naim were the only opening duo to reach 50 runs in the second match of New Zealand series. They made a 59-run partnership, and Bangladesh scored 141/6. The only time Bangladesh scored 140 or more runs in the previous ten T20Is.
Read BAN vs. NZ T20I Series 2021: Report Card for Bangladesh Team
Mohammad Naim is likely to start the innings for Bangladesh in the World Cup, given his recent performances. Naim didn't play any big knock In the past three series, but he made sure that he stayed at the crease till the death overs.
Naim will be paired with either Liton Das or Soumya Sarkar in the World Cup. Because in the previous series, neither of them had been consistent. Whoever opens the innings for Bangladesh will be responsible for increasing the run rate at the start of the innings, while Naim's task will be to stay at the crease till the end.
Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has struggled with the bat since returning to international cricket in January. Shakib Al Hasan was in great touch with the bat at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, assisting Bangladesh in winning some matches. Shakib's batting will be hoped to re-ignite and enable Bangladesh achieve something special in the world cup.
Read:Bangladesh continue domination against Afghanistan in U-19 series
Power Hitting in Slog Overs
Bangladesh are short on power hitters in the death overs. That is why, Bangladesh usually fail to post a large total despite a strong start. As a result, they will need quality hitters in the middle order to help them accelerate run rates and put up a competitive score.
Bangladesh have Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, and Captain Mahmudullah Riyad in the middle order. Death overs are crucial in T20 cricket, especially when it comes to scoring a competitive total. Everyone should be able to hit big shot when required.
Nurul Hasan and Afif Hossain have shown encouraging performances in recent series. We should anticipate them to go all out during the forthcoming competition. In addition, Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim would be vital for Bangladesh.
Read:See what we do well, not our errors, Shakib tells fans
Effective Bowling Performance
Bangladesh's bowlers must maintain a level of consistency. The bowlers' performances in the New Zealand and Australia series will not be replicated in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Because the pitches were heavily stacked in favor of the spinners. Even the pacers had rattled the batters using the sluggish nature of the wickets.
Mustafzur Rahman had shown his ability with the ball. Pacers Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin also had good outing. Among the spinners, Nasum Ahmed got the headlines most of the time with his brilliant spin bowling. Mahedi Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan did their job well.
However, we must keep in mind that the pitches in the ICC T20 World Cup would be more difficult for the bowlers. Batsmen may find ways to score runs, while bowlers would struggle to control run rates.
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Many cricket analysts were dissatisfied with the decision to offer bowling-friendly surfaces in both the Australia and New Zealand series. Bangladesh's think tank, particularly the bowling coaches, must plan a strategy to overcome the hurdle in the Wolrd Cup event.
The key task for Bangladesh bowlers will be to prevent run flow both in the power play and in the death overs. Bowlers must master the art of picking up wickets on flat tracks. They need to determine what kind of bowling may pose problems for the hitters on batting-friendly surfaces. Bangladesh bowlers will play to their full capacity if they can adjust to the conditions.
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Bottom Line
Bangladesh team's confidence is sky-high after three consecutive T20I series victories against Zimbabwe, Australia, and New Zealand respectively. Not everyone is pleased with the pitches Bangladesh played against those opponents. Many pundits believe that spin wickets only helped Bangladesh win two cricket series against two formidable opponents. As a result, Bangladesh's preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 was insufficient. Bangladesh have a chance to reach the championship's semifinals if they play to their best ability. However, they must address the three things mentioned in this article prior to the major event.
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