Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup Hopes Tied to Better Home Pitches, Says New Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto

Ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, new Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has highlighted the need for better pitches at home to improve the team’s performance in the tournament. Bangladesh, one of the nine nations to have played in all T20 World Cups since the event’s inception in 2007, remains the only team yet to reach the knockout stages.

Najmul, who was appointed as the all-format captain in February at the age of 25, replacing Shakib Al Hasan, attributes their struggles to the low-scoring nature of Bangladeshi pitches. “First of all, we have to play on good wickets,” Najmul told AFP. “Some people can take it as an excuse, but it is really a fact that we play very few matches on a good wicket.”

Bangladeshi pitches have long been known for producing low-scoring matches. Notably, only one player in the current World Cup squad, top-order batsman Towhid Hridoy, has a T20 international strike rate above 130. Najmul believes that sustained exposure to better pitches is necessary for improving strike rates and overall performance. “It is difficult to change things in six months. If we continue on a good wicket for one or two years, then these strike rates will improve,” he added.

Despite these challenges, Bangladesh has shown signs of improvement in recent years, securing series wins at home against top-tier teams such as Australia, England, and New Zealand. However, the team’s inconsistency was evident in their recent 2-1 defeat to the USA in a three-match warm-up series in Houston.

“We have won a few series and we have won against big teams,” Najmul said before the USA series. “The confidence of the team is in a good position. The matches we have played recently, if we can be like that in the World Cup, if we can take the decisions properly, if we can execute our plans, then it is possible to do something good.”

The upcoming T20 World Cup, beginning June 1 in the United States and West Indies, could be the final appearance for some of Bangladesh’s veteran players. Shakib Al Hasan, the top-ranked T20 all-rounder, briefly returned for this month’s series against Zimbabwe but had not played a T20 international for nearly a year prior. At 37, Shakib, who was elected to Bangladesh’s parliament in January, is expected to retire soon along with 38-year-old all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad.

“Of course, I want them to play in the World Cup, giving their best,” Najmul said. “It is their decision when they will end their careers. As a captain, I would like them to share their experience with every player.”

Bangladesh faces a challenging group stage with opponents including South Africa, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Netherlands. They will kick off their campaign against Sri Lanka in Dallas on June 7. Tensions between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have been high since last year’s ODI World Cup, where a controversial incident involving Angelo Mathews led to considerable animosity. 

Reflecting on the incident, Najmul said, “We have already moved on. From the day the incident happened, we did not do anything that would make us think about it. I can’t say much about them. But as a team, we are focusing on our own game.”

As Bangladesh prepares for the T20 World Cup, the team and its fans hope that improved home conditions and a focused mindset will lead to their first-ever knockout stage appearance.