PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan Thursday blasted his players for failing to do the basics during their first round exit from the World Twenty20.
Bangladesh crashed out of the tournament after their eight-wicket defeat against Pakistan in group D on Tuesday. They lost the first match to New Zealand by 59 runs.
Hasan hit his country’s highest individual score in all Twenty20 internationals with 84 against Pakistan to guide them to a challenging 175-6 but their rivals comfortably chased the target for the loss of only two wickets.
Hasan, 25, said Bangladeshi players’ fielding had not been up to scratch.
“I didn’t like the way we lost,” Hasan told Bangla daily Prothom Alo. “We should have been lively after scoring 175, saved around fifteen runs while fielding.
“I am talking about elementary things like standing 10 yards inside the boundary on the larger side of the ground. This is just a matter of common sense,” said Hasan, also a former captain.
Hasan described lack of abilities in fielders as annoying.
“These things annoy me because neither the captain nor I can tell this every ball. Then the fielder doesn’t put in the dive as the ball nears the boundary line. The dive may not work but at least the action inspires others,” said Hasan.
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim had also lamented his team’s lack of ability to supplement Hasan, who he described as “the best ever player produced by Bangladesh.”
Hasan said the lack of fight by Bangladesh increased his disappointment.
“I think I will expect these things all the time. If we had done everything properly and lost, I wouldn’t have felt so bad. I would have thought, ‘they are a better team on paper and on the field and as a result we lost’.
“The disappointment would have been two out of 10, now it is six.” Hasan said his own success was overshadowed by team’s failure.
“From a personal point of view, I had a good day. But the disappointment was to see the game being given away,” said Hasan.