We all felt bad, it is not right to talk about our commitment: Mahmudullah

Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah admitted that he and his players were hurt after their “commitment” was questioned, during the qualifiers of the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup. The nation was stunned by Scotland in the first match of the first round, resulting in a lot of criticism. However, Bangladesh made a soaring comeback with a 26-run win against Oman in the second match before wrapping up a big win against PNG. BCB President Nazmul Hassan criticised Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim for their performances following the defeat against Scotland.

“felt bad by each and everything”

“We all felt bad by each and everything, from all sides. Are human, we also have feelings. We have families. Our parents and children sit in front of the TV. They also get upset. Everyone has social media on their phone these days. We expect criticism when it is warranted but if that resorts to being belittled, we feel bad. There were many questions, including about the three senior players’ strike rate,” said Mahmudullah.

“Shakib is a champion player for Bangladesh. We are lucky to have a performer like him. He has been outstanding. But we are not worried about Mushfiq or Mustafiz. We are not losing faith in them, probably people from outside are. We tried hard, but we didn’t get the result. Everyone makes sacrifices. We play with injuries. Some of us take painkillers every day. Many don’t know about these things, so it is not right to talk about our commitment. I hope we can be more settled now. Within the team, there is positive energy, and for that I thank the whole team. I hope things will get better,” he added.

“Mahedi has been outstanding with the ball”

Mahmudullah had special words of praise following some fine performances by the three youngsters in the side – Mohammad Saifuddin, Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Naim.

“Their performance is a positive sign for us. Saifuddin has bowled well in all three matches, and batted well today. Mahedi has been outstanding with the ball. Naim made 64 in his first match. I hope they will continue in this vein. It looks good when they perform, and it inspires us too. I hope they do better in the Super 12s,” he stated.

Bangladesh thrash Papua New Guinea by 84 runs

Bangladesh qualified for the Super 12, following a comprehensive win by a margin of 84 runs against Papua New Guinea. Shakib made his presence felt with a fantastic performance, accounting for four dismissals. The all-rounder earlier accumulated 46 runs from 37 deliveries in an innings comprising of three sixes, to help Bangladesh post a competitive total of 181.

“This was much needed, the way we wanted to play today’s game, the intent was there from the batters, the wicket was better compared to the last two games they did a really good job, and the bowlers were equally good. We were concerned about two things – first six overs with both bat and ball, if we get a good start, we can really do well, that’s where the focus is. We are much more skilled hitters, rather than being big-hitters. Need to figure things out in the middle, communicate with others and start doing well,” said Mahmudullah.