Despite advancing to the Super 8s, Bangladesh's struggles with the bat have been glaringly evident. The persistent failure of their top-order batsmen is a significant concern, and without their bowlers' commendable performances, their progression past the first round seemed unlikely.
Now grouped with Australia, India, and Afghanistan in the Super 8 stage, Bangladesh needs substantial contributions from their batsmen, especially in conditions that may become more favourable for batting. So far, in challenging conditions, most teams have benefited from one of their top four batters staying until the end of the innings, but this has not been the case for Bangladesh. Their tendency to play aggressive shots early on against the new ball has often backfired.
David Hemp, Bangladesh’s batting coach, accentuated the need for the batters to avoid being 15 to 20 runs short, a recurring issue during the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup.
Hemp recently told Cricbuzz, “The pitches in this tournament haven’t been conducive to high-scoring totals of 200 or more. It’s crucial for us to make accurate assessments of the pitch and conditions, and then adapt our batting strategy accordingly. This will give our bowlers something defendable when we bat first. When chasing, the approach differs based on the target, but when setting a score, we need to ensure we’re not falling 15 or 20 runs short due to misjudging the conditions.”
He further elaborated that in several of their games, an additional 15 to 20 runs could have turned close matches in their favour. He pointed to their game against the Netherlands, where Shakib Al Hasan’s innings helped them post 160, but they had the potential to reach 180. Hemp stressed the importance of making good decisions in such scenarios.
In the Bangladesh dressing room, the focus has been on improving decision-making. Hemp explained, “We must adjust better to the playing surface. Out of the four games we’ve played, two were on reasonable surfaces, while the other two were challenging. A key aspect of batting is adapting to the conditions and making smart decisions based on those conditions. We’ve been discussing how to be ready for the surface and identifying effective scoring strategies.”
Najmul Hossain’s form has been a significant concern in this tournament, as he has only managed 26 runs in four matches. His choice to play a reverse sweep early in the innings against the Netherlands sparked debate.
Commenting on this, Hemp mentioned, “The reverse sweep by Shanto is a shot he is confident in and has executed well in the past, even though it seemed mistimed as he had faced just a few balls. It’s important for batters to play to their strengths and have confidence in their abilities, despite the inherent risk in batting, where a single mistake can lead to dismissal.”
Hemp also expressed confidence in Litton Kumar Das, who has scored only 46 runs in the tournament so far. He believes that despite his current form, Litton is on the verge of breaking through.
Hemp noted, “Litton is making minor misjudgments and getting out, but his movement and how he strikes the ball are promising. It’s just a matter of staying focused for a bit longer. He’s shown glimpses of his potential, and it’s about refining those moments to avoid costly mistakes.”
As Bangladesh prepares for their next matches in the Super 8s, the emphasis remains on making smarter decisions and leveraging their batting strengths to support their bowlers in achieving competitive scores.