Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh, has downplayed the country’s recent slump in ODI form, stating that his squad is preparing to recover against Sri Lanka this week. Afghanistan and New Zealand have defeated Bangladesh in their last two home series, and the country is attempting to avoid a third consecutive loss.
Shanto stated that Shakib Al Hasan’s absence will impact the formation of the playing XI, but he prefers that the batting order for this series remain as unchanged as feasible.
In Chattogram, Bangladesh will rely significantly on their bowling unit, specifically the quicks, to ensure victory. Dew frequently becomes a factor in the port city, which is typically favorable for batting even in March, which is considered springtime in Bangladesh.
“It is important to see how the bowlers adjust to the conditions and wicket in Chattogram,” Shanto asserted. “Very certainly, it presents a challenge for them.” Each individual is required to take into account the circumstances under which they are bowling. We are not concerned with the individual concessions of each bowler. “We are concerned with the bowling unit operating as a cohesive unit.”
“We probably become a bad team after losing one game. The lower hype may be due to the start of Ramadan. We are not worried about it. Those who follow the team, they always come to the ground”
Additionally, Bangladesh will be hoping that Soumya Sarkar, who scored 169 in last year’s second ODI in New Zealand, performs well in the match against Sri Lanka. Soumya scored four additional runs in the series after surpassing Tamim Iqbal’s record of the highest overseas innings by a Bangladeshi batsman in ODIs, which had stood for fourteen years.
“[Soumya] played a full series in New Zealand after a long time. He played a big innings in one of the matches. Everyone has to be consistent. There is room for improvement, and Soumya knows about it,” Shanto said. “He is working on it. His innings in New Zealand was indeed a big deal for our team, especially in those conditions. I am hopeful that he will use his opportunity well.”
Due to the observance of Ramadan, Bangladesh can anticipate playing in front of small audiences at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Shanto stated that it did not concern him because he anticipated that the masses would gather as soon as the team began to perform well.
“Everything is okay the moment we win a game,” he said. “We probably become a bad team after losing one game. The lower hype may be due to the start of Ramadan. We are not worried about it. Those who follow the team, they always come to the ground. I think they become emotional because they expect a lot more from us. We always try to give our best to make them happy.”
