Aoba Tanaka 
In an unexpected turn of events, Bangladesh’s veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan termed the team’s T20I series loss to the USA as a significant “wake-up call” as they prepare for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The USA, marking their first series victory over a full-member team, stunned Bangladesh by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with one game still left to play.
Bangladesh’s preparation for the global tournament has taken a hit with this surprising defeat. In the second T20I, they were chasing a modest target of 145 and seemed to be on track at 106/4 in the 15th over. However, a sudden collapse saw them being bowled out for 138 in 19.3 overs.
“Certainly, it is disappointing and we didn’t expect it, but we must give credit to the US team for the way they have played,” Shakib said. “I think no one expected that we would lose two games. Any match you lose as a team is disappointing, and you don’t want to lose a game, so obviously it is very disappointing. But having said that, we have to play the World Cup, and this series might be a wake-up call for us as we haven’t played the way we want to play.”
Emphasizing the importance of collective responsibility, Shakib stated, “It’s a team game, and everyone has to take responsibility—you win as a team and you lose as a team. I don’t want to blame any particular person or any particular department. It’s just that T20 is such a format you have to play very good cricket in all three departments to win against any team. There are no small or big teams in T20 cricket, and that’s why it is more exciting than any other format. And the proof of that is in the last two games, the way the US played.”
Shakib dismissed any notion that Bangladesh underestimated their opponents. “I don’t think we took them lightly. In the first game, maybe we couldn’t do what we wanted to do, and in the second game, exactly the same thing happened—we couldn’t execute the plans that we were supposed to do on the ground.”
Reflecting on the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, Shakib added, “In T20, every team is very much equal. I have seen the game between West Indies A and Nepal, and they really played well. You are seeing games between Ireland and Netherlands, and they are playing very close matches. Pakistan lost to Ireland, and in T20, it is anybody’s game. It is on the day who performs better, and so you cannot take anything lightly in T20 cricket because one or two overs can change the momentum of the game and completely change the scenario. That’s why you are always up for the challenges and cannot take anything lightly or for granted.”
Shakib also expressed his dissatisfaction with the facilities at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Houston, highlighting how rain and limited practice time impacted their preparations. The first day of practice was washed out, and subsequent training sessions were hindered by inadequate facilities.
“If we take this as a preparation series for the World Cup, in that case, we should have had a lot more batting and bowling sessions, and there should have been more facilities that we didn’t get at all. I feel we had a proper net session for one day, and even on that day, the batsmen could not have the required batting session. There was an optional day, and the batsmen did not seize the opportunity,” Shakib lamented.
Despite these challenges, Shakib was quick to clarify that these were not excuses for their performance. “For one day, there was rain, and we could not do anything on that day, while there are four grounds, but we could train on only three pitches which I don’t think is ideal. And I think these things could have been better,” he concluded.
As Bangladesh regroups, this series loss serves as a crucial reminder of the unpredictability of T20 cricket and the need for thorough preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup.
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