A defeatist mentality, leading nowhere

It was a day to seize an opportunity, perhaps the biggest one in Bangladesh's recent history. After their solid effort with the ball against Afghanistan in St. Vincent yesterday, the context and match scenario all pointed to going on an all-out attack in chasing 115. It simply required taking those runs in 12.1 overs to make the T20 World Cup semifinals or fall trying. A defeatist mentality, however, surprisingly turned the whole game away from their grasp.

What was an inspiring challenge and opportunity would leave a big gash on Bangladesh's cricket history as, given the context of Group One of the Super Eights and the game itself, the only thing at stake was having the heart to go for the game for a place in the semis; for winning in itself was not as important, akin to making it a dead rubber final appearance in the marquee event. 

But could more be expected when the head coach Chandika Hathurusingha remarked that anything gained from the Super Eights will be a "bonus", or when Shakib Al Hasan jumped to conclusion that they do not have a chance of making the last-four stage anymore following defeat to India?

While it boiled down to a make-or-break situation for the Tigers at the Arnos Vale Stadium, Mahmudullah Riyad played out five dots when the equation was to get 43 off 19 deliveries. It really showed where the confidence level of the batting unit was, given how Bangladesh planned for the chase. Did the Bangladesh think tank not know what kind of game they ought to be preparing for?

Even before the game against Afghanistan, Bangladesh knew they needed a 62-run win if they batted first. Thus, they had to be aware that they needed to chase any target in and around 11 to 13 overs. But skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said something about winning being the initial plan; as if the equation at hand was an irrelevant burden.

Most importantly, in a game where the batting order had to be shuffled to make the chase in 12.1 overs, Bangladesh resorted to normalcy.

"First of all, we wanted to win the match. That is the initial plan. After the first innings, when we saw 115 on the board, we had a plan that we could win in 12.1 overs," Shanto relayed at yesterday's press conference.

He stated more clearly during the post-match presentations the approach the batting unit carried. "The normal plan was first three wickets we go hard, especially in the first six overs, and if we lose early wickets we play normally," Shanto had said.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, played out of their skin while Bangladesh were humbled by their own abysmal planning. If the idea was to attack in the Powerplay, the first six overs, Bangladesh did the opposite by not taking risks and sending in the likes of Tawhid Hridoy or Soumya Sarkar earlier -- batters who are ready to take advantage of field settings.

Instead, Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan, who have struggled immensely throughout this tournament, came in and departed in back-to-back deliveries, leaving them at 23 for 3 in 2.5 overs. With their plans, Bangladesh looked to be heading neither here nor there.

The Powerplay produced 46 for three and after that, Liton tried for a while, and Hridoy was the only other batter who looked like he wanted something different inside the 12.1 overs. Once the latter departed, along came that pivotal 10th over where veteran Mahmudullah picked up just four off Noor Ahmed -- the epitome of Bangladesh's defeatist mentality -- and they lost the plot from there. Liton at one point stuck to the norm to at least ensure a win, but Afghanistan seized momentum from what intent Bangladesh had lost by not getting more in the Powerplay.

There was no qualification at stake to another tournament, as was the case during the last game Bangladesh played in the 2023 ODI World Cup against Sri Lanka. Only winning would bring nothing of importance. Shanto said that "the whole batting line-up made very bad decisions", but bad decisions started from the very top with the team management, Hathurusingha and Co