Bangladesh Calls for Better Pitches at Home to Improve T20 Performance
Bangladesh’s recent T20I defeats against India have sparked a debate within the team and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) about the need for better pitches at home. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and pacer Taskin Ahmed have both emphasized the importance of playing on high-quality surfaces to improve their batting and overall performance in the shortest format.
After the 86-run loss in Delhi, Taskin stressed that Bangladesh’s players need to get used to posting high totals on better pitches. He admitted that the team has “a lot of room for improvement” and that they rely heavily on a few key players to contribute to the total.
“We have informed the board, so I am sure they are thinking about [better pitches],” Taskin said. “They gave us hope that they will make things better. It is up to them how they will improve conditions back home.”
Taskin also pointed out the contrast between Bangladesh’s batting performance and India’s, who despite losing early wickets, managed to score 222 runs. He attributed this to India’s experience playing on good batting pitches in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“Most matches in IPL are high-scoring. They know how to chase big targets, and build high scores,” Taskin said. “What [scores like] 130-150 is for us, is 180-200 for them. We need to grow this habit [of scoring big], but I hope we have better home conditions so that we develop the ability to score and chase big targets.”
The lack of quality pitches in Bangladesh has also affected the team’s bowling, particularly the spinners. Taskin expressed concern that the spinners had a bad day in Delhi, which cost Bangladesh the game. He also acknowledged that the team is not adapting quickly enough to better batting conditions.
“We haven’t improved in T20s. It is our failure,” he said. “Regardless of wickets back home, we are not doing well in better conditions. We are trying hard to improve, and we are hoping we can improve. That’s all we can do.”
The BCB has taken note of the players’ concerns and is considering the future of the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s curator. The board is also exploring ways to improve the quality of pitches at home to help the team develop the skills necessary to compete against top teams like India.