By Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana expressed shock on Wednesday, March 27, over their crushing defeat in the recent three-match ODI series against Australia. She highlighted this as a stark wake-up call before the upcoming T20 World Cup at home. Despite Bangladesh’s high spirits from their victories against India, Pakistan, and South Africa, the reigning champions, Australia, handed them overwhelming defeats. Bangladesh struggled with the bat, failing to score over 100 runs in any of the matches, with scores of 95, 97, and 89, revealing significant batting weaknesses.
“I am completely taken aback,” Nigar Sultana remarked, following their eight-wicket loss at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. “For the past six months, our cricket was nowhere near this performance level. A slip-up in one or two areas is understandable, but the whole team’s performance was off, leaving us struggling. We didn’t come close to showing even 10 percent of our true capabilities.”
Sultana pointed out the importance of learning from these failures, especially with the World Cup on the horizon. “Mistakes become glaring when you’re not performing well. This series acts as a warning. We must improve, or we’ll face similar outcomes against top teams. It’s crucial for every player to step up their game if they wish to remain in the team,” she emphasized.
Nigar Sultana: Our Performance Didn’t Reflect Even 10% of Our Capability
The team’s morale took a hit right from the first match against Australia, according to Sultana. “After scoring below 100 in the first game, everyone thought the series would be challenging, and that mindset affected us throughout. The second game’s wicket was actually good, raising the question of why we couldn’t bat as well as Australia. It seems more of a mental barrier than a lack of skill. Our previous victories prove our capabilities, but after the first game, we couldn’t regain our confidence. It’s a psychological issue,” she analyzed.
Bangladesh is set to face Australia again in a three-match T20I series at SBNS, running from March 31 to April 4, offering a chance for redemption and psychological recovery before the World Cup.
