Bangladesh will have much to analyze and rectify following their most dismal World Cup performance to date. It commenced against the backdrop of Tamim Iqbal’s contentious dismissal and concluded with stand-in captain Najmul Hossain Shanto lamenting the batting order adjustments that Bangladesh adeptly replicated through bilateral matches and the Asia Cup prior to the World Cup. Shakib Al Hasan’s form [186 runs and 9 wickets in 2023; 616 runs and 11 wickets in 2019] and decisions [returning home to train with a personal coach mid-World Cup] encapsulated the disorganized, shambolic performance that resulted in two victories and seven defeats for his team.
Bangladesh were in a predicament where everything that could possibly go wrong did occur. Despite having pacers and spinners who entered the tournament with considerable prowess and respectable figures to their names, the team as a whole flattered to deceive. The tiniest of silver linings from this forgettable campaign is that Bangladesh managed to secure the eighth position, the final one required to qualify for the Champions Trophy.
A match from which they would eagerly replay the key moments…
The Sri Lanka matchup.
Shakib’s decision to appeal for a timed-out dismissal of Angelo Mathews in the event of a helmet harness malfunction incited indignation and sparked an onslaught of cricket parodies on a global scale.
Mathews characterized him as reprehensible, whereas Shakib maintained that his conduct was entirely permissible and thus proper. However, despite the spectacle of this unprecedented frenzy, Bangladesh achieved their greatest result of the tournament by defeating Sri Lanka in a 50-over World Cup for the first time in four attempts.
Shakib also displayed signs of his form for the 2019 FIFA World Cup by taking two wickets and then returning to compile an 82 off 65 balls in a challenging chase. Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was predicted to succeed Shakib as captain, amassed a respectable 90 off 101 deliveries. Sri Lanka was eliminated from the World Cup as a result of Bangladesh’s victory; however, the far more significant consequence of that outcome was that Shakib’s team managed to surpass Sri Lanka on NRR and secure the eighth position. Despite the fact that both teams were defeated in their final league stage match, Sri Lanka will be eliminated from an ICC tournament for the first time in 2025, tarnishing their illustrious cricketing heritage.
An encounter that they were eager to relive without delay…
The Netherlands suffered a loss.
Bangladesh entered the match having suffered four consecutive defeats, albeit at the hands of more formidable and well-rounded opponents in New Zealand, England, India, and South Africa. The purpose of the Netherlands match was to assist Bangladesh in regaining their footing. After returning from a brief sojourn in Bangladesh, a revitalized Shakib was anticipated to provide the team with two crucial insights. Conversely, Scott Edwards’s resilient Netherlands side exhibited to Bangladesh the results that can be achieved at this level through sheer determination and discipline.
Even when defending against a below-average total of 229 runs, their bowling and ground fielding were flawless. A few disgraceful statistics stood out as particularly undesirable for Bangladesh to revisit and expunge: Paul van Meekeren’s 4/24 was the most impressive bowling figure recorded by a Dutch bowler during the World Cup, and Bangladesh’s 87-run triumph represented the largest margin of victory by an Associate team in comparison to a full-member team.
A memorable performance
Afghanistan has Mehidy Hasan Miraz in opposition.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz provided Bangladesh with an ideal, clinical beginning well in advance of the country’s disastrous World Cup outcomes.
Miraz’s dismissal of Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi instigated a collapse in which the opposition fell from 112 for 2 to 156 all out. In the process, Miraz gained two more wickets, bringing his total to 3 for 25 in nine overs. However, what may have been even more significant to Bangladesh was the fact that their iterative attempts to elevate him higher in the batting order yielded immediate results.
Miraz, who had previously tormented Afghanistan as an opener in the Asia Cup, returned to haunt them once more with a 57 off 73 balls, this time from one delivery. Shanto, the other half-centurion of the match, assisted him in accumulating an additional 97 runs, thereby facilitating a smooth run pursuit in Dharamsala.
Misses and Hits…
Perhaps unanticipatedly popular was Mahmudullah. It appeared for months prior to the World Cup that Bangladesh had abandoned the middle-order batsman, but he managed to make the squad nonetheless. Amidst a challenging tournament where his peers encountered difficulties, he amassed a century and a fifty-six against South Africa and Pakistan, respectively. In addition to finishing with 328 runs, he was effective at No. 7 against New Zealand (41*) and India (46) for Bangladesh, the most in the World Cup.
A succession of failures characterized Bangladesh’s World Cup. The nation was beset by inconsistency. However, considering Shakib’s stature as a versatile player and the extraordinary benchmark he established during the 2019 World Cup, he will be remembered as their most egregious underachiever.
I believe that has been my last World Cup match…
Shakib had already devised his retirement preparations prior to his arrival in India. He is anticipated to be absent during the 2027 50-over World Cup. The situation may be analogous for Mushfiqur Rahim (36), Mahmudullah (37) and his colleague seniors on the side.
