Bangladesh reached the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, a feat that is certainly a success. However, this success is tinged with disappointment as Bangladesh's top order is failing to score runs. The most significant concern is the performance of captain Najmul Hossain himself, who has been unable to lead from the front with the bat.
Bangladesh will face Australia today at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. The match will start at 6:30 AM Bangladesh time.
In the press conference before the Super Eight match against Australia, questions were raised about Najmul's form. Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha naturally stood by his captain, pointing out that top orders of almost all teams have struggled in the group stages of this T20 World Cup, suggesting that the conditions have been challenging for batting.
Let's review Najmul's scores in the group stage: 7, 14, 1, 4. Although Najmul typically bats at number three, the team management has experimented with his batting order in these innings to break his run drought. After failing at number four against Sri Lanka, opening against South Africa and the Netherlands didn't yield better results. Even returning him to number three against Nepal didn't change the outcome.
With formidable opponents like Australia ahead in the Super Eight, the focus on Najmul's batting from the perspective of Bangladesh's coach was questioned: what is his message to the captain, and why isn't he scoring?
Hathurusingha explained, "It's not just Shanto (Najmul), most teams' top orders are struggling in this tournament. The pitches are becoming difficult for batting with the new ball. Teams are playing without understanding what a good score is on these pitches.
Then the top two or three batsmen have to play to understand the conditions." He then specifically addressed Najmul, saying, "You're right, he's a match-winner.
He's a very good player, an important batsman. I'm sure he'll do well if the conditions are good. It's challenging for all top orders."
Since scoring an unbeaten 122 runs in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Chittagong on March 13, Najmul hasn't hit a fifty in 17 innings across all formats.
