Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons has openly criticized veteran cricketers Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim for their poor shot selection following their do-or-die encounter against New Zealand.
New Zealand knocked out Bangladesh after handing them a five-wicket loss in their second game of the group phase at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday which knocked Najmul Hossain’s side out of the ICC Champions Trophy.
Phil Simmons addressed the team after the match in the dressing room and did not shy away from expressing his disappointment over the approach of the senior campaigners.
The former West Indian opener stated that reckless decisions taken by Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur at crucial moments made the team pay heavily.
The criticism reportedly left some younger players baffled, as they had never seen senior players being called out so openly.
A source revealed that Simmons specifically pointed out Mushfiqur’s mistimed slog sweep with 27 overs remaining and Mahmudullah’s aggressive charge down the track with 24 overs left.
The criticism reportedly left some younger players baffled considering the fact they had never seen senior players being held accountable so openly.
Another insider noted that while these veterans are usually praised for their work ethic and experience, this rare public criticism caught the team off guard.
On Monday, Bangladesh won the toss against New Zealand and opted to bat, replacing Soumya Sarkar with Mahmudullah. The opening duo, Najmul and Tanzid Hasan Tamim put together a solid 45-run stand, a notable improvement from their collapse against India. However, Bangladesh lost momentum in the middle overs, slipping from 97 for 2 to 118 for 5 after losing Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah for just 21 runs.
Kiwi off-spinner Michael Bracewell was the prime bowler for Newzeland, taking 4 for 26. Surprisingly, only one of his victims, Tanzid, was a left-hander. Towhid fell attempting an expansive shot, Mushfiqur mistimed a slog sweep, and Mahmudullah’s aggressive charge resulted in a soft dismissal. Ironically, Bangladesh’s right-handers struggled against an off-spinner when they were expected to dominate.
Following that mini-collapse, triggered by the two senior batters, Bangladesh never really recovered as they only managed to score 236. That total proved insufficient, as New Zealand chased it down in the 47th over with five wickets in hand.
Source: The Daily Sun
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