Towhid Hridoy for Bangladesh (Source: AFP Photos)
Bangladesh stand-in captain Towhid Hridoy had no choice but to accept the reality of Bangladesh cricket after the team failed to reach the final of the ODI Tri-Nation Series in the UAE, which also featured Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
Bangladesh lost both their outings against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, that too by a massive margin. As a result, they finished at the bottom of the tri-nation series points table, while Afghanistan and Zimbabwe are set to play the final on Friday (October 23) at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah.
Towhid Breaks Down Bangladesh’s Poor Show And High Expectations
Speaking at the press conference in Sharjah after Bangladesh’s latest seven-wicket defeat against Afghanistan, Towhid admitted that fans have high expectations of them every time they take the field, but Bangladesh cricketers don’t live up to them.
“Whenever we play a big series, tri-nation, Asia Cup, or World Cup... personally, and as a team, everyone wants to win a trophy. This hunger is in everyone. We only say it, but our actions don't reflect it,” Hridoy said.
Furthermore, Hridoy said the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled for June and July next year in Bangladesh, will be crucial for them to show the world what they can deliver, much like the historic Darwin Test.
However, they must plan accordingly and fix the mistakes to get the job done.
“Truth be told, the Asia Cup at home is a huge opportunity, and we definitely need to sit down and bring the team to a good state because people have high expectations of us. I hope we can do something good,” he said.
Towhid Hridoy Shows No Mercy To Batters
To conclude, Towhid Hridoy mentioned that their batters, in particular, failed miserably on both matches against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.
“I don't want to indicate any specific area... to be very clear, it's our batsmen. In the last two matches, we have batted very poorly, and because of that, the whole team suffered,” Hridoy said.
“We have areas to develop here. As professional players, it's crucial to adapt quickly to away conditions. In the last few days, we've played mostly away matches. There is massive room for improvement here,” he concluded.
Bangladesh lost all 20 wickets in both the matches. Chasing 272, they were bundled out for 172 in 33.4 overs against Zimbabwe. After that, against Afghanistan, they came to bat first, and could only muster 160 before losing all their wickets within 41.2 overs. Towhid had the scores of 21-ball 13 and a two-ball duck.
