T20 cricket is renowned for its explosive batting and frequent boundaries. However, it can sometimes slow down, resembling the pace of ODI cricket. Success in this format hinges on a team's ability to read the situation and adapt accordingly. The Bangladesh women's cricket team, however, presents a unique case in this regard.
The red-and-green squad has shown a somewhat sluggish performance in the ongoing ninth Women's T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Captain Nigar Sultana Joty and her team commenced the tournament with a victory against Scotland but subsequently fell to former champions England.
With two points from their two outings, the Tigresses need to finish in the top two of Group B to advance to the semi-finals. They have two crucial matches remaining, against the West Indies on October 10 and South Africa on October 12. The upcoming match against the Windies is particularly critical for Joty and her team.
Bangladesh's struggles with power hitting and batting failures are a cause for concern. They failed to chase a modest target of 119 runs against England. Leg-break bowler Fahima Khatun commented, "We bowled very well against England. The target was achievable, but we didn't score enough runs in the power play. As a batting unit, we need to adopt a more positive approach. Our batting against England was disappointing."
Fahima added, "We are confident in both our batting and bowling. If we bat first in the next matches, we will aim to post a competitive score."
Power hitting has not been a strong suit for Bangladesh. Instead, their batting failures have disappointed fans. Before the World Cup, Joty expressed that she was not overly concerned about power hitting, believing that success does not solely depend on it. However, the inability to score quickly against England proved costly, a sentiment echoed by Fahima.
The West Indies, having suffered a heavy defeat against South Africa in their first match, are equally desperate to bounce back against Bangladesh. Power hitting could play a decisive role in this encounter.
Fahima remarked, "We always say that playing as a team can lead to great success. The match against the West Indies will be easier if we focus more on our batting."
Reflecting on the team's defeat, she noted, "There were many positives in the match against England. We will try to carry those forward into the next match. Although we didn't win, the confidence we gained will be beneficial in the upcoming games."
Fahima also highlighted the challenging conditions in the UAE, saying, "Sobhana Mostari played very well, hitting numerous shots.
However, the sluggish outfield limited her to just two runs. We need to rotate the strike and score runs during the power play to make things easier for the team."
