(Source X)
Veteran opener Tamim Iqbal voiced his disappointment with Bangladesh’s approach in their recent ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match against Afghanistan. Iqbal remarked that Bangladesh should have adopted a more aggressive strategy despite the risk of losing wickets cheaply.
Under the leadership of Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh suffered an agonizing 8-run defeat to Afghanistan at Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent on Monday, June 24 (local time). This loss marked Bangladesh’s third defeat in the Super 8 stage, resulting in their elimination from the tournament without progressing to the semi-finals.
Bangladesh required a brisk chase to surpass Australia’s net run rate and secure second place in Group 1, aiming to chase down the target in 12.1 overs. However, they could only manage 108 runs for the loss of seven wickets, falling short of their target and finishing at the bottom of the Group 1 standings.
Tamim Iqbal – Bangladesh Will Be Very Disappointed
In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Tamim Iqbal lamented Bangladesh’s missed chance to achieve something extraordinary, emphasizing that such opportunities are scarce. He underscored the team’s underwhelming performance during the Super 8 stage of the tournament.
“Bangladesh will be very disappointed. I think Bangladesh should have gone for the chase, even if it meant getting bowled out for 70 or 80. They anyways went on to lose the match, but they had the opportunity to do something very special and these kinds of opportunities do not come around very often, especially after not winning anything in the Super 8,” Tamim Iqbal said on ESPNCricinfo.
Bangladesh had an opportunity to chase down the target swiftly and enhance their net run rate. However, aside from Litton Das, critical batsmen such as Tanzid Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, and captain Najmul Shanto failed to make substantial contributions, with none of them reaching double figures.
Tamim Iqbal said Neither We Won The Game
The 35-year-old remarked that Bangladesh displayed sporadic intent but struggled with frequent wicket losses and lacked determination during critical phases of the match. Iqbal pointed out a missed opportunity to pursue a chase, noting that they neither secured victory nor actively pursued the target.
“In patches, Bangladesh looked like they were going for the chase, but then wickets fell and there was less intent in the batting in few of the overs. At least if they had tried to chase it down and lost by 30-40 runs, people would have understood that there was an opportunity and we tried and we failed, but that is fine. Neither we won the game, and neither did we try to chase it down,” Tamim said.
Afghanistan clinched their place in the semi-finals by overcoming Bangladesh, thereby joining India, South Africa, and England in the knockout stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The semi-final matches are set to take place on June 27 (Indian Standard Time), with the final scheduled for Saturday at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
