NEWS
Follow UsAfter three consecutive losses, Pakistan had started to feel the heat, and they couldn’t have found a better opposition than Bangladesh, who are battling their own demons. A perfect game for Pakistan in Kolkata resulted in Bangladesh suffering their sixth consecutive loss of the tournament, and were officially out of contention for a spot in the semi-finals.
Bangladesh never had a set template for their batting, and their lackluster performance was further aided by the fact that their batters were always out of their position. Against Pakistan, Shakib Al Hasan batted at No.6 and scored a 43, but now he is planning to change his position in the batting order.
“Not enough runs, The wicket was really good; we lost early wickets again. There were some partnerships, but not big partnerships. Disappointing with the bat. Credit should go to Pakistan, the way they bowled and the way they batted in the first 10 overs. (On his batting position) We'll have to think about that. We are not getting many runs from the top four batsmen. I was batting in the top four, I wasn't scoring,” Shakib said in the post-match presentation.
Shakib further stated that winning the last two games is their priority at the moment, with the ICC Champions Trophy qualification at stake.
“My confidence was low too. Luckily I got some runs, feeling better now. At this moment, changing too many things gets difficult. We have to keep moving forward. We have to perform together. We need collective performance, which is not happening. Two more matches, hopefully, we can bounce back. Everywhere we go, they (fans) keep supporting us. We have to give something back to them so they can smile.”
After continuous underperformance, Fakhar Zaman was dropped from the team after the Netherlands encounter, but on his return for the clash against Bangladesh, he showed impeccable range to score 81. The way he dominated the pacers had the signs of old Fakhar Zaman, and he was glad that he found his mojo back.
"Time off helped. I practised a lot after the Asia Cup. I felt good in the camp. I wanted to score big, but, you know, it's cricket. I was talking to Abdullah that I'll see off the first four overs and then hit sixes regardless of how the pitch will play because I know I can and I know my role," Zaman said after his player of the match performance.
"NRR was in our mind. After 100, we were looking to finish the game before 30 overs. After too many failures, I was just looking to score the first 30 and struggling. Hopefully, I'll make it big in the coming games," the Pakistan opener further added.
